Assembly leaders grilled at City Hall

On a very snowy 26th February LCCI hosted a policy breakfast at City Hall with the leaders of the London Assembly Conservative and Labour parties, Gareth Bacon and Len Duvall.

LCCI members took part in an insightful Q&A session with the two leaders, each giving their respective visions for London and how to keep it a competitive place to start, run and grow a business.

The Mayor’s plans for an expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone were discussed (LCCI’s view, here), alongside the anticipated impact of Brexit and the prospects for the upcoming local government elections in May – which do not currently look good for the Conservatives.

We’ll be back at City Hall next year.

Gareth Bacon AM, above, taking questions from LCCI members

Transport matters

On 7th March LCCI’s Transport Committee met with the chair of the House of Common’s Transport Select Committee, Lilian Greenwood MP, at Westminster.

The Common’s Transport Committee is responsible for scrutinising the Department for Transport and its policies, and so the session was a great opportunity for LCCI members to feed into Ms Greenwood, as chair of that committee, their concerns and priorities including around aviation, Crossrail 2 and rail services in the capital.

LCCI’s priorities for transport are set out in our Towards a Greater London business agenda, and recent response to the Mayor of London’s transport strategy.

Lilian Greenwood MP, pictured, addressing LCCI Transport Committee members

Lords Economy Committee

On 6th March LCCI members visited Parliament to give evidence to the House of Lords Economics Committee on the apprenticeship levy, giving London business views on how the scheme has been functioning and the need for reform.

LCCI has called for there to be greater flexibility on how businesses are able to use levy funds, and for administration of the levy to be devolved to the capital.

LCCI members, pictured above, speaking to the Lords Economics Committee

Having our say on the London Plan and draft Economic Strategy

LCCI has submitted responses to the Mayor of London’s draft London Plan and Economic Strategy.

The London Plan is a key document that sets out the capital’s spatial development strategy. In our response, we’ve proposed that the Mayor should formally ‘identify the need’ for emergency service worker housing in the same way that previous Plan reviews concluded there was a specialist need for housing provision for older people and students.

Last year LCCI commissioned mapping of the Metropolitan Green Belt that identified 329 hectares of “brownspace” which could be used to build up to 20,000 homes.

Whilst it is welcome that the draft new London Plan seeks to explore all options to use land throughout the capital efficiently, however that should include an honest assessment of the potential of the derelict, underused or abandoned plots of land that can be found in every borough that straddles the greenbelt.

You can read our London Plan in full, here.

On the economy, we have chosen to focus on what City Hall can do to support London’s businesses and how London can meet the challenges that come with ‘megacity’ status. Read the response in full, here.

Having our say – LCCI responses to consultations and inquiries

LCCI’s policy team are busy responding to a variety of consultations by government to make sure that the London business voice is heard.

You can read all our responses in full, here.

Events, my dear boy, events

We think it’s important that LCCI members have the opportunity to put their views to, and hear directly from, politicians and decision makers.

• On 12th April LCCI is hosting Paul Scully, MP for the south London seat of Sutton and Cheam and the new Conservative Vice Chairman for London.
• On 6 June LCCI is hosting Baroness Fairhead, the Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion

If you would like to register your interest for LCCI policy events and to receive more information, please contact us at policy@londonchamber.co.uk.

For all LCCI Trade events, check out our business event calendar.