§ Mr. ColmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to provide the Greater London Authority with accommodation and administrative support. [86985]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI announced on 26 February plans for a new building for the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) at London Bridge City. Design and contractual issues are being finalised, and I anticipate the building being ready for occupation towards the end of 2001.
To house the GLA before the new building is ready, my Department is arranging temporary office accommodation at Romney House, Marsham Street, London SW1, which should be ready for occupation by staff preparing for the GLA by the end of 1999.
The GLA will assume its responsibilities on 3 July 2000, eight weeks after the elections, and work therefore needs to be put in hand now to establish finance and other systems and to ensure that appropriate administrative machinery is in place. I announced on 31 March that Dr. Bob Chilton would be seconded from the Audit Commission to be Head of Transition: he took up his duties on 19 April, and will work closely with my officials to take this work forward.
My Department has earmarked £30 million from within existing budgets over the four years 1998–99 to 2001–02 to meet GLA preparation costs. This will cover the anticipated cost of fitting out, furnishing and equipping the new building, including professional and other specialist advice; providing temporary accommodation for the GLA; accommodating and equipping the transition team; and setting up new financial, management and communication systems for the GLA. This compares to an initial provision of £20 million, which was largely to cover the cost of providing a new building. I will provide more detailed estimates when commercial negotiations have been completed, and will report actual expenditure totals periodically.
Separate provision is being made to cover the cost of the first elections to the GLA, including publicity, and establishing Transport for London and the London Development Agency. A separate announcement is being 399W made about a loan from the Contingencies Fund in relation to some of these costs. The arrangements for establishing the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority are matters for the Home Secretary.
§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statutory authority exists for costs to be incurred by him in 1999–2000 in preparation for the establishment of the Greater London Authority and its functional and other associated bodies. [86986]
§ Mr. RaynsfordFurther to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Battersea (Mr. Linton) on 2 February 1999,Official Report, column 568, pending Parliamentary approval, urgent expenditure on new services for the bodies other than the Greater London Authority in 1999–2000 estimated at £4.7 million will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.