Greater London Authority Bill

It will not surprise the Committee to hear that we, too, support the amendment. Schedule 6 to the 1999 Act begins: "““It shall be the duty of the Mayor and the Assembly … to prepare and approve for each financial year … a consolidated budget for the Authority””." As the schedule progresses it becomes apparent that the Assembly can influence the budget only with a two-thirds majority. The amendment seeks to lower that bar, and we throw ourselves wholeheartedly behind it. The Assembly is set up as a scrutinising body, yet the budget for the whole authority can be covered by a minority, with potentially well over 60 per cent of the Assembly against it. It is staggering that a matter of such importance for the whole of London, which affects all the authority’s functions, can be forced through by an individual faced with such ineffective scrutiny. I support everything that the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, said on that. The proposal would give the Assembly the power only to amend not to prepare the budget, which would remain the brainchild of the Mayor.