Boris ignores call to “drop frontline fire cuts” - Brent

Yesterday (Monday) I voted against the Mayor of London’s draft budget which proposes to close Willesden Green and Harlesden police station in Brent. This was the final chance to debate and vote on the Mayor’s overall draft budget for London.

The London Assembly required a two-thirds majority to amend the Mayor’s budget. At the first meeting the three opposition groups passed a ‘Technical Amendment’ which forced Boris to review freezing the council tax precept, rather than cutting it by one penny a day for an average household. This would raise £9.6 million, which could be used to keep all of London’s fire stations open and maintain police front counter provision across London.

In Brent this would have:

• Helped 255 Londoners under 24 out of work for more than a year into work through Labour’s Jobs Guarantee. This scheme would give 21 hours per week of work experience, paid at the London Living Wage for six months.
• Saved residents £165 by cutting transport fares by 1% so they are in line with inflation

 Yesterday I joined residents at my local train station to spread the message about the Mayor of London’s cuts being too far and too fast. Boris had a clear choice between cutting council tax by one pence a day, or freezing it and using the money to keep fire stations open. But Boris chose to carry on with his foolish plan to axe 12 fire stations and 18 fire engines. 

Boris is needlessly jeopardising the safety and security of Londoners. We presented the Mayor with a fully costed plan which keeps much needed front line services but he wants to continue with his ill-thought out proposals. 

Boris has cut his share of the council tax by one pence a day per household, but at the same time has whacked up fares above inflation for the fifth year running. If he had taken on our budget proposal to cut transport fares by one per cent he could have saved residents in Zone Four and travelling to Zone One £282.74 over the course of a year. It’s time for Boris to get serious and stand up for Londoners instead of campaigning for tax cuts for millionaires.

Ends

Notes

1. The Cross-party amendment can be found here: http://cityhalllabour.org/cross-party-budget-change-forces-boris-to-ditch-frontline-999-cuts/
2. The Budget meeting took place at City Hall on Monday 25^th February 2013. You can watch the meeting here: www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/the-london-assembly/webcasts

Boris ignores call to “drop frontline fire cuts” - Harrow

Yesterday (Monday) I voted against the Mayor of London’s draft budget which proposes to close Pinner and Harrow Civic Centre counter police station in Harrow. This was the final chance to debate and vote on the Mayor’s overall draft budget for London.

The London Assembly required a two-thirds majority to amend the Mayor’s budget. At the first meeting the three opposition groups passed a ‘Technical Amendment’ which forced Boris to review freezing the council tax precept, rather than cutting it by one penny a day for an average household. This would raise £9.6 million, which could be used to keep all of London’s fire stations open and maintain police front counter provision across London.

In Harrow this would have:

• Helped 85 Londoners under 24 out of work for more than a year into work through Labour’s Jobs Guarantee. This scheme would give 21 hours per week of work experience, paid at the London Living Wage for six months.
• Saved residents £360.54 by cutting transport fares by 1% so they are in line with inflation

Yesterday I joined residents at Harrow on the Hill station and Harrow & Wealdstone station to spread the message about the Mayor of London’s cuts being too far and too fast. Boris had a clear choice between cutting council tax by one pence a day, or freezing it and using the money to keep fire stations open. But Boris chose to carry on with his foolish plan to axe 12 fire stations and 18 fire engines. 

Boris is needlessly jeopardising the safety and security of Londoners. We presented the Mayor with a fully costed plan which keeps much needed front line services but he wants to continue with his ill-thought out proposals.

Boris has cut his share of the council tax by one pence a day per household, but at the same time has whacked up fares above inflation for the fifth year running. If he had taken on our budget proposal to cut transport fares by one per cent he could have saved residents in Zone Six and travelling to Zone One £360.54 over the course of a year. It’s time for Boris to get serious and stand up for Londoners instead of campaigning for tax cuts for millionaires.

Ends

Notes

1. The Cross-party amendment can be found here: http://cityhalllabour.org/cross-party-budget-change-forces-boris-to-ditch-frontline-999-cuts/
2. The Budget meeting took place at City Hall on Monday 25^th February 2013. You can watch the meeting here: www.london.gov.uk/who-runs-london/the-london-assembly/webcasts

There is an alternative for Brent

I supported the London Assembly Labour Group’s amendment to the Mayor’s draft 2013-14 budget. The amendment and proposals focus on protecting frontline services, easing the cost of living crisis and helping young Londoners into work.

The key points of Labour’s proposals are:

• A Jobs Guarantee for all 16-24 year olds who have been out of work for 1 year or more. In Brent this would help 270 young people
• Cut transport fares by 1% so they are in line with inflation. Londoners living in Zone four and travelling to Zone One on a yearly travelcard would save £282.74
• Re-allocate business rates to protect frontline police and fire services. In Brent, Willesden Green and Harlesden police station is earmarked for closure, this would be kept open and police front counter provision will be maintained.
• Freeze the Mayor’s share of the Council Tax which is currently only saving households 7 pence per week
• Start the process of setting up a London-wide lettings agency

As the economy stumbles and splutters towards a triple-dip recession the Mayor needs to help the economy and help ordinary Londoners. Cutting fares by one per cent will save residents in Brent £282.74 on their annual travelcard.

Our Jobs Guarantee for 16-24 year olds out of work for over a year will put 270 young people in Brent into work, and benefit 7,500 long-term unemployed young Londoners across London.

There has been a lot of local opposition to the proposed closure of Willesden Green and Harlesden police station but reallocating business rates, as we’ve suggested, will help protect frontline police and fire services to help keep London safe and secure.

Boris may shrug his shoulders and say he is doing all he can, but he is signed up to the government’s reckless economic plans. All he has done is said the ‘rhetoric should be toned down’, but that cuts and austerity should continue. At a time when ordinary Londoners are struggling and the economy is flat-lining he must do more, there is an alternative.

Boris has cut his share of the council tax by less than 10 pence a week per household, but at the same time has whacked up fares above inflation for the fifth year running. He must be stupid to think Londoners won’t notice this.

Boris repeats “sham” consultation for fire cuts

Boris Johnson was today criticised for over-ruling the London Fire Authority’s call for a full London-wide consultation on his proposed fire cuts. Yesterday the Mayor directed the London Fire Authority to make deep cuts and to consult on these changes. However, the consultation ordered by Boris will not include public meetings in each London borough, and will repeat many of the mistakes of the “sham” consultations being held for police cuts.

Boris knows Londoners are against his planned fire cuts, now he is trying to make it harder for them to have their say. At yesterday’s Mayor’s Question Time he was repeatedly asked, but he failed to commit to attend a single public meeting to explain his plans to cut 12 fire stations, 18 fire engines and 520 firefighters. He hasn’t attended any public meetings about his police cuts either. He is hiding behind his senior officers and deputies. He is the Mayor of London and the buck stops with him.

999 services "devastated" in Brent and Harrow

Mayor of London Boris Johnson was confronted yesterday by local Labour London Assembly Member Navin Shah about cuts to emergency services in Brent and Harrow. Emergency services are being “devastated” with the proposed closure of Pinner and Civic Centre (Counter) police stations in Harrow, Willesden Green and Harlesden police station in Brent and the Central Middlesex A&E Hospital in Brent which will be putting the safety of Londoners at risk.

The Mayor is accused of holding ‘sham consultations’ across London for his draft Police and Crime Plan. The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Stephen Greenhalgh has attended the consultations in Brent and Harrow but as yet the Mayor has not attended any of the consultation sessions.

Across London, 999 services are being threatened:

• The London Fire Brigade’s budget has been cut by the Mayor and government by £45 million for the next two years. Boris Johnson wants to close 12 fire stations, lose 18 fire appliances and axe 520 firefighter posts
• London Ambulance Service is currently being cut by £53 million (19%) of it’s budget by 2015/16, resulting in 890 job cuts, of which 560 will be frontline jobs
• The Metropolitan Police have already lost 2,147 police officers and 1,682 PCSOs since May 2010. The Mayor has earmarked 65 police stations and front-counters for closure. The Met's own Chief Financial Operating Officer has labelled the Met's Budget for the coming year as 'very risky'
• NHS London delivered efficiency savings of around £1 billion in 2011/12 and is committed to further savings of £600 million in 2012/13 and £500 million in 2013/14. Eight A&Es are due to be closed across London

 I challenged the Mayor regarding my concerns about the safety of Londoners following the fire cuts outlined in the London Safety Plan. The cutting of fire engines and axing firefighters will certainly put people at risk. We are seeing utter confusion about cuts to London’s policing and fire brigade from the Mayor's office.

I am concerned about cuts to the frontline services in Brent and Harrow. The government and the Mayor are cutting too far, too fast and these cuts will inevitably endanger families and communities across the capital.

The Mayor can’t give a straight answer about how much a closed police station will save or where residents will be able to report crime. Many residents have spoken to me and they just don’t believe Boris when he says that he can close 65 police stations, 12 fire stations, axe 520 firefighter posts and cut 18 fire engines and still maintain the same service we have now. He has direct responsibility for the fire and police services so has to take responsibility for the closure of fire and police stations and the loss of police officers on his watch. The cuts are going too far and too fast.

Boris attacked for trying to force through fire cuts

Today the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has formally directed the London Fire Authority to make deep and damaging cuts. The Fire Authority had previously voted against the Mayor’s budget proposals to close fire stations, but he is now trying to use his powers as Mayor to force them through.

The Mayoral Direction comes on the same day that Boris was challenged on cuts to the emergency services across London at today’s Mayor’s Question Time at City Hall. Mr Johnson was criticised for not taking responsibility for the cuts he is making to the London Fire Brigade. I argued that the station closures and fire appliance reductions are due to budget cuts imposed by the Mayor.

In his letter to the Mayor of London on 29th January 2013 the London Fire Commissioner stated: "I regard the budgetory position as being a significant factor in the proposals which I have produced."

Today's Mayoral Direction is the first step to closing these fire stations. Boris is trying to hide behind his fire officers, he needs to take responsibility for his cuts. These changes are driven by budget cuts, not improvements to the fire service. Today we have called an emergency meeting of the London Fire Authority, this will take place as soon as possible.

Boris needs to think again and look at reallocating resources from the wider Greater London Authority budget. This will keep our fire stations open and protect the safety and security of Londoners. He is trying to force the London Fire Authority to make these deep cuts, which are opposed by us and many Londoners.

The London Fire Brigade and all of their dedicated staff do a fantastic job keeping us safe and helping us when we need it most. He is cutting too far and too fast, hitting the frontline and fundamentally undermining the ability of the fire brigade to do their job. How can cutting 12 of our fire stations, 18 fire engines and 520 firefighters be in the best interest of Londoners?

Background

The London Fire Brigade's budget is to be cut by the Mayor and government by £45 million for the next two years. Boris Johnson wants to close 12 fire stations across London. Even after the 12 stations, 18 fire appliances and 520 firefighters have been cut the Mayor and LFEPA will still have to find over £5 million of cuts. On average it costs £1.4 million to run a one fire engine station.

The fire stations listed for closure are: Belsize in Camden; Bow in Tower Hamlets; Clapham in Lambeth; Clerkenwell in Islington; Downham in Lewisham; Kingsland in Hackney; Knightsbridge in Kensington & Chelsea; New Cross in Lewisham; Silvertown in Newham; Southwark; Westminster; and Woolwich in Greenwich.

In addition the following stations will lose one of their two fire engines: Chelsea, Chingford, Hayes, Leyton, Leytonstone, Peckham and Whitechapel.

Boris quizzed over police cuts

Boris Johnson was challenged today over cuts to the Metropolitan Police in Brent and Harrow. Mr Johnson and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner faced questions at City Hall from local Labour Assembly Member Navin Shah. Boris was questioned about cuts to frontline policing cover including cuts to police stations, police officers and the recent "sham" consultations that his deputy Stephen Greenhalgh has been attending across London.

 The closures across the capital include: the loss of nine out of 32 A&E; cutting 12 fire stations, 18 fire engines and 560 fire-fighters; and the closure of 65 police front counters and stations.

The closures across Harrow include the closure of Civic Centre counter and Pinner police station.

The closures across Brent include: the loss of Central Middlesex A&E and the closure of Harlesden and Willesden Green police station.

The question and answer session comes at a time when the full extent of cuts to London’s emergency services has become clearer. In the past week the Mayor has confirmed which police and fire stations will be closed. A map outlining the extent of the cuts to emergency services across London has been compiled by Labour Group Leader Len Duvall AM.  

Today I challenged Boris on his planned cuts to the policing and questioned him on how many wards will have a sergeant. He is cutting too far, too fast and is hitting the frontline. On top of this he is stripping back our local Safer Neighbourhood Police Teams this will mean fewer locally based police officers and PCSOs across London. This looks like a return to ‘sector’ policing which was abandoned as it was ineffective.

We already know that Brent has lost 78 police officers from May 2010 to Novemeber 2012, but the Mayor’s plan confirms that the majority of London’s boroughs will have fewer police officers by 2015 than they did in 2010. All this is happening at a time when the London Fire Brigade and our Hospital Accident & Emergency Departments are also being cut back. This is further evidence that the Mayor and government are cutting too far, too fast and are hitting the frontline.

Transport for London’s latest Business Plan

Boris Johnson promised to “bear down on transport costs” during his re-election campaign earlier this year after having put fares up above inflation every year since he became Mayor in 2008. Londoners will instead be hit with 10 more years of above inflation fare rises, starting with a 4.2 per cent rise next month.

The plans for inflation-busting fare rises were revealed in Transport for London’s latest Business Plan which was debated and agreed at a TfL Board meeting on Wednesday (12 December). As Chair of TfL the Mayor had the final decision over what happened. He had the chance to help working Londoners who are struggling just to get by. Instead Boris is busy campaigning for more tax cuts for the very richest, whilst hitting ordinary working Londoners with another inflation-busting fare rise.

The most affordable way to travel around London is by bus, yet bus fares have risen 55 per cent under Boris - going up again next month to £1.40. As rent, fuel and food costs soar, more passengers will seek cheaper forms of travel as family budgets continue to be squeezed and it is important that bus fares remain affordable to people on lower incomes.

Boris recently announced an increase to the London Living Wage so hard-working Londoners can afford a decent standard of living. But as he gives with one hand, he takes away with the other by continually raising transport costs, leaving London with the most expensive transport system in the world.

Who’s going to save the emergency services?

I questioned Mayor of London Boris Johnson about NorthWest London A&E closures and London’s vital emergency services at Mayor’s Question Time this week. Londoners are facing a dramatic reduction in Police, Fire, Ambulance and A&E provision in the capital due to central government cuts.

I asked the Mayor if he supported Brent residents in their campaign to keep Central Middlesex Hospital’s A&E department open. The Mayor refused to commit his support despite his direct role in the London Health Improvement Board and health inequalities in the capital.

The Mayor was challenged over his failure to speak up for the NHS in London and protect A&E departments from closure. Despite repeatedly campaigning for tax cuts for millionaires the Mayor has refused to lobby government to keep A&E units open as he says it is outside of his remit.

The Mayor of London was also challenged on:

 * The London Fire Brigade is facing the loss of up to 30 stations, 30 appliances and hundreds of firefighters.

* The Metropolitan Police have already lost 1,444 police officers and 1,960 PCSOs in the past two years. With a £230million budget black-hole this will increase. 

* London is set to lose 7 of it’s 31 A&E departments, leaving the remaining 24 to cover an an extra 120,000 residents each.

I am dismayed by the way the mayor has disenfranchised the residents and stakeholders in London on the matter of NHS changes and A&E closures in London. At Mayor’s Question Time Boris denied any responsibility or support for the hundreds and thousands of residents who are campaigning and genuinely concerned about the closure of the A&Es in their area.

London’s emergency services are facing a crisis, the police, fire brigade, ambulance and A&E departments are all being cut back. This will leave London with less blue-light coverage. At a time when London’s emergency services are already stretched this simply does not make sense. London’s population is also forecast to grow to 9 million people - how will the emergency services cope?

Brent and Harrow AM Navin Shah calls for rethink on Dow Chemical Olympic deal

By David Hardiman

A Harrow politician has led calls for Olympic officials to review their sponsorship contract with a chemical company with links to the 1984 Bhopal disaster.

London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, Navin Shah, led a move by the Assembly to call for a rethink on the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) deal with Dow Chemical, which is one of 11 global Olympic sponsors.

He said that organisers should pay more attention to environmental, social and ethical records of companies when awarding high-profile contracts.

He said: “Almost thirty years after the horrific Bhopal chemical disaster, the factory site has still not been cleared up and the survivors and their families continue to fight for compensation.

“It is time for LOCOG and the IOC to take their ethical and sustainability code seriously and exclude Dow Chemical from future sponsorship deals.

“It’s not too late to clean up their act. We owe it to the victims and their families to demand actions and implement changes to keep out the likes of Dow Chemical from future Games.”

Up to 25,000 people in Bhopal, India, died in the aftermath of a gas leak at a pesticide factory that was owned by a subsidiary of Union Carbide in the 1984 disaster.

Dow, which bought Union Carbide in 2001, has repeatedly denied any responsibility for Bhopal and has refused demands, including from the Indian government, to increase a $470million compensation package that Union Carbide paid to victims in 1989.

Mr Shah has been a long supporter of the campaign to increase compensation and support for the victims affected by the leak.

In a statement, LOCOG said: “Dow was appointed as the supplier of the Olympic stadium wrap in August 2011 following a thorough and competitive procurement process.

“We assessed all bids on the ability to deliver a sustainable solution and Dow met this criteria by some distance.”

Navin Shah puts forward Dow motion

I presented a motion to the London Assembly's Plenary meeting against Dow's partnership with the International Olympic Committee. I expressed my concerns about the Dow Chemicals connection with the Bhopal gas disaster and ongoing groundwater contamination. The London Assembly called on the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) to recommend that the IOC introduces criteria for the selection of Worldwide partners and high profile sponsors for future Games that address the principles defined in their Olympic Charter, and that the IOC review their current partnership with Dow in light of those criteria.

You can watch me presenting the motion here and my summary of the motion and debate is here.

Harrow's Asian Deaf Club invited to special reception at City Hall

By Katie Dolamore

Members of Harrow Asian Deaf Club (HADC) were invited to a special reception at City Hall yesterday.

The club, which supports people who are hard of hearing, received the invitation to congratulate them on staging a range of community events.

The 35 committee members and volunteers, including three hearing-impaired pupils from Hatch End High School, in Headstone Lane, also met Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, at the event.

The group, which held a celebration for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee last month, was also treated to a guided tour of City Hall and watched the Mayor’s Question Time.

Mr Johnson congratulated the HADC members on their excellent achievements.

The group had been invited by the London Assembly Mayor, Cllr Navin Shah, who recently enjoyed the “wonderful” hospitality of the HADC at a party to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at Bentley Day Centre, in Uxbridge Road, in June.

Cllr Shah said: “I was extremely impressed with the scale and quality of the event and am pleased the day was a success.

“In recognition of its hard work, the Harrow Asian Deaf Club was presented with a Certificate of Special Thanks for volunteering and making the event a great success.”

Asif Iqbal, president of the HADC, said: “The day was a fantastic way to celebrate the achievement of everyone involved. It was also a well-deserved treat for the HADC members.

“It was with their support that we succeeded in organising events and bringing people together.”

The club will be holding more community events later in the year, including an Eid/Diwali celebration in November and a Christmas party in December.

Mayor disregards Harrow-on-the-Hill petition

By Navin Shah AM

I am extremely disappointed’ by the Mayor of London’s response to the 500-signature strong petition submitted last March regarding the lack of accessibility at Harrow-on-the-Hill station.

The petition I submitted at the London Plenary meeting in March, stated that residents and visitors to Harrow want the Mayor of London to restore funding, previously agreed with the former Mayor and TfL, to make Harrow-on-the-Hill fully accessible and integrated with Harrow Bus Station.

Over 500 residents signed the petition.

The response to the petition, sent by Deputy Mayor for Transport, Isabel Dedring, said: “The Mayor recognises that there is more to do to further enhance the accessibility of London’s transport system.

“Harrow-on-the-Hill has been identified in this plan as being in an area for the LU network which should be considered for additional step-free access provision.”

I will continue to lobby the Mayor about this as residents really need and want Harrow-on-the-Hill station to be accessible for them. I am extremely disappointed with the Mayor’s decision, as I’m sure those who signed the petition will be as well.

The £25 million of investment for regeneration and step-free access to Harrow-on-the-Hill Station that the Mayor of London cut in 2008 is desperately needed to make this station a viable transport hub.

One in ten Londoners are excluded from large parts of the transport network because of mobility issues and in Harrow only 4 tube and rail stations out of 14 have step-free access. This is not good enough.

Cllr Sue Anderson, lead petitioner, said: “I was really disappointed to find that despite the campaign to get step-free access for Harrow-on-the-Hill promised to us by the Labour Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone, Boris hasn’t made any such commitment.”

Anti-Dow campaigners continue Olympic protest

It is considered one of the world’s worst industrial catastrophes of all time. The 1984 Bhopal disaster killed thousands when chemical gases leaked out of a pesticide plant in India.

Due to contaminated water, the disaster continues to affect the health of hundreds off villagers in surrounding areas. In 2001 the Bhopal plant was sold to American multinational Dow Chemicals whose Olympic sponsorship is causing quite the stir.

Navin Shah, a protester and member of the London Assembly, said: “Lord Coe (Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee) would make you believe, the Mayor of London would make you believe, even the prime minister would make you believe that there is no problem with the sponsorship with Dow. That is completely bogus. It is offensive, they really need to apologise for the kind of offence that they have caused to the poor victims of Bhopal but none of that is happening.”

Anti-Dow campaigners protested in central London ahead of a meeting of the International Olympic Committee’s inspection team. Protesters say the leak and its fallout have killed some 25,000 people and are calling for the company’s sponsorship of a fabric wrap around the Olympic Stadium to be cancelled.

Harrow-on-the-Hill petition submitted to the Mayor

I submitted a petition to Mayor of London, Boris Johnson regarding the lack of accessibility at Harrow-on-the-Hill station at last week's Plenary.

The petition states that residents and visitors to Harrow want the Mayor of London to restore funding, previously agreed with the former Mayor and TfL, to make Harrow-on-the-Hill fully accessible and integrated with Harrow Bus Station.

Over 500 residents signed the petition.

I have lobbied the Mayor on this issue continually over the last four years, since he cut £25 million of investment for regeneration and step-free access to Harrow-on-the-Hill Station. 

One in ten Londoners are excluded from large parts of the transport network because of mobility issues and in Harrow only 4 tube and rail stations out of 14 have step-free access. This is not good enough.

Local Councillor and lead petitioner, Sue Anderson joined me at City Hall to submit the petition. She said: “Step-free access is well overdue at this major station, I have been really impressed by the amount of support the petition has received from people across the borough and beyond.”

London 2012: Dow Chemical defends Olympic Stadium sponsorship deal

By Owen Gibson

The senior executive at Dow Chemical responsible for its Olympic sponsorship has insisted there is no chance of it dropping the controversial wrap that will surround the stadium at the London Games.

Campaigners have called on London 2012 organisers to end their relationship with Dow over claimed links to the 1984 Bhopal disaster, which killed more than 15,000 people. But George Hamilton, Dow's vice-president of Olympic operations, described the company's critics as "irresponsible". Hamilton said: "This issue is not our issue. We're not going to be bullied by activists or politicians who want to get involved in this, whatever their driver may be. We're not going to allow that to make us waver from our commitment to the Olympic movement."

Dow signed a $100m (£63m) 10-year deal with the International Olympic Committee in 2010 and last summer agreed to sponsor the £7m wrap that will surround the stadium. The issue has led to calls from politicians, including Tessa Jowell, the shadow Olympics minister and London 2012 board member, and Ken Livingstone, Labour's London mayoral candidate, to scrap the deal. But the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the IOC have repeatedly backed Dow's stance.

London 2012's chairman, Lord Coe, this week defended the association in the face of hostile questioning from the London Assembly member Navin Shah, who said the issue was "damaging the credibility of the standing of London and the Games".

Hamilton said: "The people attacking Dow have woefully underestimated our character and who we are. They have underestimated our character, the contribution we've made to responsible care and use of chemicals, and they've underestimated our stamina. We've been here for 112 years and we're planning to go for the next 100."

Hamilton said that it had bought the assets of Union Carbide, the company that owned the Bhopal plant at the time of the gas leak, seven years after the Indian subsidiary had been divested to a third company, McLeod Russel India Ltd. He said: "We didn't buy the Indian assets or liabilities because they had sold them to McLeod Russel. So now to get Dow to take some action that says we are responsible. Legally? No. Ethically, morally? No."

The issue has escalated to the point where Indian government officials are considering boycotting the opening and closing ceremonies. The IOC on Thursday responded to a letter from the Indian sports ministry asking it to reconsider by restating its position that Dow neither owned nor operated the plant at the time of the disaster.

Barry Gardiner, the Labour MP who is leading a group calling for the deal to be re-examined, said that the issue of Dow's liability over Bhopal was only one among several that made it unfit to be associated with the Olympics. "This is not simply about one thing in a particular point in time. This company is not fit to be associated with the most sustainable Olympic Games ever."

Following a recent Westminster Hall debate, Gardiner said that he had written again to Coe outlining a series of issues with Dow and with the procurement process. He said he had yet to receive a reply.

Hamilton said Dow had decided to get involved with the Olympics to reach into new markets, including Russia and Brazil where the next two Games will take place, accelerate its "transformation strategy" of moving from being seen as the equivalent of a utilities company to a "solutions provider" and as a staff motivation tool.

London 2012 Olympics: Dow Chemical puts blame for ongoing crisis in Bhopal at Indian government's door

By Jacquelin Magnay

George Hamilton, Dow’s vice president of Olympic operations said the Indian government should bear the brunt of questioning about the contamination of Bhopal, rather than his company, which has come under sustained heat for a £7 million sponsorship of the London Olympic Games stadium wrap and the Olympic Movement in a $100 million deal.

As the first of the wrap’s 336 triangular panels is due to be installed around the Olympic stadium within weeks, the issue was once again debated in the London Assembly on Wednesday.

A motion to ban Dow Chemical officials from London House, to scrap the sponsorship and demand an apology from Locog to the victims of Bhopal for the offence caused by Dow’s sponsorship was rejected 10-11.

Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, Navin Shah, said Dow failed to meet Locog’s ethic and sustainability code and noted: “I’m disappointed the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Assembly Members voted against the motion, and equally saddened that Lord Coe has decided to continue with the deal with Dow.

"This is damaging to the credibility of the Games and the reputation of London.”

Dow Chemical purchased the parent company of Union Carbide, 17 years after it was responsibile for up to 25,000 deaths from a gas leak in 1984.

But in a rare analysis of the Bhopal issue, Hamilton told Telegraph Sportthe government of India had the financial liability in relationship to the Bhopal disaster and that if there was any corporate liability, it rested with Eveready.

Hamilton said the government responsibility had been confirmed by the Supreme court back in 1991 and it was then reinforced after the state government struck a deal back in 1998 with the then landowners Eveready.

Eveready (at the time called Macleod Russel India Limited) had purchased all of Union Carbide Indian assets.

Essentially, Hamilton says, when Dow Chemical bought Union Carbide, it didn’t own any of the Indian assets. They were owned by Eveready, which still operates in India.

Hamilton questioned why the Indian government was now seeking to attach Dow Chemical to a financial remediation plan when it was the government who had had the responsibility to clean up the site for more than a decade.

Hamilton said: ”If there is any questioning it has to be to the Indian government and why have they sat on their hands for 13 years?

”They [the government] took back the land from Macleod Russel India specifically to remediate the land and it has done nothing.

”Now the government is seeking to attach Dow to financial liabilities and responsibilities, when to date every court has said you can’t attach liability to a company that had no association, and this is the same government that has an obligation for additional claims.”

Hamilton argued that if people had a real interest in helping the people of Bhopal they were going about it the wrong way.

”It is very curious that the facts are clear and publicly available but repeated attempts by activists and some politicians are misguided, misinformed and misdirected,” he said.

”The company that purchased Union Carbide was now under Eveready. No one has interviewed Eveready, no one has targeted that company, Dow is not connected with it, but others are clearly connected with it, including the Indian government.”

However protest groups maintain that Dow Chemical, as the owner of the Union Carbide India’s parent company was ultimately responsible.

There are court cases debating the legal position including a long running case in the Southern District of New York.

Eveready said on its website that ”Eveready is neither responsible for the pollution as reported, nor is it liable for the clean up of the toxic material."

It says the responsibility lies with Dow Chemical through its ownership of Union Carbide USA and while it purchased the majority shares of Union Carbide India in 1994 at an auction sale, it has no relationship with the gas leak.

”The present business of the company is manufacture and marketing of fast moving consumer goods and has no connection with the pesticides business of Union Carbide,” the company says. It further adds that the Bhopal plant was closed permanently and all licenses cancelled by the government.

Eveready also claims that the state government took possession of the Bhopal plant ”unconditionally” in 1998.

GLA Budget

GLA BUDGET

Last week the London Assembly debated and voted on the Mayor’s budget for London. I, along with my Labour colleagues, proposed a fully costed plan to cut transport fares by 7%, this will save travellers around £1,000 over four years. We want to use TfL’s surplus to put money back in Londoner’s pockets to help them through these difficult times. However, all of the Conservative members of the Assembly voted against this proposal and Mayor Boris Johnson also blocked it.

Mayor Johnson’s proposal of a 1% cut to council tax means a £3.10 per year reduction in council tax, equivalent of saving the average Londoner 26p a month - enough to buy one onion. This measly sum is meaningless compared to the £110 extra a monthly zone 1-4 travelcard will cost you this year, or the £46 extra you are forking out for a monthly bus pass since last year. The Tory Mayor's fare rises are costing Londoners a lot more, and he could make a real difference to Londoners if he supported Labour's plan to cut transport fares but all he is interested is in gesture politics.

In these difficult times when costs are rising we should be doing all we can to help people, rather than the paltry cut offered by the Mayor. It is a shame that the Tory Mayor has chosen to increase fares and burden our communities with this additional hefty tax.  

Navin Shah AM 

London Mayor’s Budget: Enough to buy one onion

The four year term of the London Mayor and the GLA Members comes to an end on 3 May, when voters will be going to the polls. Last week, Assembly Members questioned the Mayor about his budget, which can only be overturned by two thirds of Assembly Members voting against it.

This means it is impossible, given the political make up of the Assembly. This year’s budget is critical in that it gives an opportunity for the Mayor to present his vision and priorities for London and Londoners – this Mayor failed to do this.

I, along with my Labour colleagues, proposed a fully costed plan to cut transport fares by seven per cent, this will save commuters around £1,000 over four years. Labour’s proposal is to use Transport for London’s surplus to put money back in Londoner’s pockets to help them through these difficult times. However, all of the Conservative members of the Assembly voted against this proposal and Mayor Boris Johnson also blocked it.

Mayor Johnson’s proposal of a one per cent cut to council tax means annual savings of  £3.10 for the average Londoner, or 26p a month - enough to buy one onion. This measly sum is meaningless compared to the £110 extra a monthly zone 1-4 travelcard will cost you this year, or the £46 extra you are forking out for a monthly bus pass since last year. The Tory Mayor's fare rises are costing Londoners a lot more. He could make a real difference to Londoners if he supported Labour's plan to cut transport fares but all he is interested is in gesture politics.

In these difficult times when costs are rising we should be doing all we can to help people, rather than the paltry cut offered by the Mayor. It is a shame that the Tory Mayor has chosen to increase fares and burden our communities with this additional hefty tax.

The examination of the Mayor’s contribution in the last four years shows he has achieved next to nothing. He’s completed, with varying degrees of success, projects started by former Mayor Ken Livingstone and claimed credit for those initiatives as his own. We have seen his vanity projects like the new ‘routemaster’ bus design that is costing £12 million for just five vehicles.

Hire bikes paid for by increased fares but are becoming more and more unpopular with Londoners. And the City Hall council tax freeze, saving Londoners pennies,  is wiped out by the serious impact on the quality of life of Londoners with his huge fare rises, the reduction of police numbers on our streets and failing to deliver affordable social housing.

In all the key areas affecting London’s communities Mayor Johnson has failed to deliver. The number of police officers on our streets is down almost 2,000 in the last two years with incidents of burglary, theft and muggings up since last year.

The Mayor has increased public transport fares over and above inflation every single year since he was elected – a huge 26 per cent increase on average since 2008. As in previous years I have supported the Mayor’s decision not to put up his share of the council tax, and the one per cent cut in his precept this year. But this fails to provide meaningful help to our communities during the period of financial hardship. However, Mayor Johnson remains the main cheerleader for City bankers who caused the recession and continue to draw scandalous bonuses. The Mayor lacks vision and real commitment to support Londoners. The forthcoming election will be the opportunity for Londoners to have their say.

Navin Shah AM

Increase in teenagers injured by knives in Brent and Harrow

The number of teenagers injured by knives has jumped 16% in Brent and 90% in Harrow in the last year, new figures show.

I feel the figures are disturbing and I call on the Mayor to do more to "get a grip" on the problem.

In Brent there were 50 teenagers, aged 13-19, injured last year (2010/11), up from 43 in 2009/10.

In Harrow there were 19 teenagers, aged 13-19, injured last year (2010/11), up from 10 in 2009/10.

The Mayor said in his 2008 manifesto, "by using all the powers available to the Mayor and taking a fresh approach, we can tackle knife and gun crime in London".

The Mayor made lots of promises during his election campaign, sometimes unfairly and distastefully using the deaths of young people to grab headlines.

These disturbing figures show that for young people in Brent and Harrow his plans have failed and he was wrong to pretend there are any easy solutions to this problem. He now needs to get a grip on this problem urgently.

Assembly member Navin Shah asks people to name most dangerous roads

By Suruchi Sharma

ROAD-USERS are being asked to name the most dangerous roads, junctions and roundabouts in Harrow and Brent this week.

Last week London Assembly member for Brent and Harrow, Navin Shah, backed pedestrians and cyclists on improving a "dangerous" junction in The Broadway, Stanmore.

He has raised the matter with Mayor Boris Johnson and is awaiting a response.

This week Mr Shah has asked members of the public to name the most dangerous roads for Road Safety Week.

Mr Shah said: "Recent incidents on London's roads such as what happened on Stanmore Hill are a stark reminder of the dangers cyclists and pedestrians face every day.

"I'm keen that the matter is resolved as a matter of priority to ensure that both the traffic lights, the road junction and crossings are altered to make them safe to avoid a repeat of any accident or injury.

"I'm also keen to find out how confident local residents feel getting to work, on the school run or going to the shops."

To tell Mr Shah about a dangerous road in your area email navin.shah@london.gov.uk

Mayor committed to 20 years of above inflation fare rises

Mayor Boris Johnson today rejected calls from local Assembly member Navin Shah to cut the cost of public transport in London in a row over fares at City Hall. The Mayor confirmed he is committed to putting fares up above the rate of inflation every year for the next twenty years.

Pressing the Mayor to "put commuters first", Brent and Harrow's London Assembly Member Navin Shah said "Londoners are paying more and getting less” under Boris Johnson.

TfL’s operating budget currently has a surplus of £727 million, which means fares could be cut by 5% to help put money back into the pockets of commuters. Labour Assembly members today called on the Mayor to use the money to lower fares.

But Boris Johnson said he remained committed to increasing fares above inflation for the next twenty years, saying a cut is "the last thing Londoners want or deserve”. He said reducing fares "is not right thing for this city."

The Mayor described the under-spends in TfL's budgets as "completely irrelevant" and said that cutting fares would be a "historic mistake".

Stanmore Steps: ASPIRE challenge the Mayor with costed lift plans

In 2010, the charity ASPIRE, whose National Training Centre is based on Wood Lane, Stanmore, carried out an analysis of their own for the estimated costs of installing a lift, truly step-free access, at Stanmore London Underground Station. I was delighted to put these costings to the Mayor at November's Question Time.

I was contacted recently by ASPIRE, a national charity that supports people with spinal cord injury (SCI), based in Stanmore. They asked a private contractor to look into a feasible and affordable plan to make Stanmore station accessible, because of the proximity of the station to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Aspire National Training Centre. Currently, Stanmore station is not accessible for wheelchair users to access independently. What are TfL’s plans to make the station accessible for wheelchair users and would you consider ASPIRE’s proposals to install a lift at an approximate cost of £10,000 plus VAT with a £400 a year maintenance contract that would benefit thousands of disabled Londoners every year?

Answer by Boris Johnson

Previous experience suggests that private contractors can sometimes underestimate the costs of working on the Tube network, however I would be happy to pass on ASPIRE’s plans to London Underground (LU) if they were to send them to me.

It should be noted that there is already a step-free route to and from the platforms at Stanmore using a ramp (which has been independently assessed as complying fully with British Standards) via the car park. However, LU is aware that some customers may find this route difficult to use, particularly independent wheelchair users.

LU provides detailed information about the access at Stanmore via its Step-Free Tube Guide and at www.directenquiries.com to allow those who require step-free access to make an informed decision about whether they will be able to manage the route.

Transport for London have never provided an estimated cost of these works. We hope to have a more detailed response to these proposals soon.

If you have any comments about, or would like to share your experience of, disabled access at Stanmore, why not contact me?