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• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 12 January 2021

Andrew Boff AM: Professor Fenton, on I think 3 March [2020], the Mayor of London said that there is no risk of people catching coronavirus while travelling on buses or trains in the capital. Did you give him that advice?

• Question by: David Kurten
• Meeting date: 12 January 2021

David Kurten AM: Thank you, Chair. I would like to ask Dr Fenton. We heard from the Chair and you earlier about admissions to hospitals with COVID being the highest since the start of the declared pandemic in March 2020. How do total hospital admissions now, this January, compare to last January and other winter seasons before this year?

• Question by: Caroline Russell
• Meeting date: 12 January 2021

Caroline Russell AM: Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Martin, for that really clear description of what is happening in our hospitals and to the people working in those hospitals. I want to talk about the vaccination of frontline workers. I do realise that vaccination rollout is in early stages and that we will not know for a few months whether vaccination has any effect on reducing transmission, but yesterday the Government released guidance that said phase two of vaccination may include targeted vaccination of those at high risk of exposure and/or those delivering key public services. This week we...

• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 12 January 2021

Navin Shah AM: Thank you very much. My question is to Professor Fenton. We saw in the first wave that BAME Londoners were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. In fact, the figures were very damning and not acceptable in any situation. What lessons have we learned since the first wave and what has been implemented as a result to improve the situation, which needs to be done speedily and dramatically?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Thinking about evacuation, I am sure you will agree it is important that the extent to which people are educated in advance of the crisis about what is expected of them will help in the management at the time. Looking at the Preparing for Emergencies booklet, which has been mentioned, that has three generic bullet points on this issue, and if you compare that with what is available to New Yorkers, in terms of a very detailed guide, with evacuation there absolutely, all sorts of things, down to what to do with your pets, which I am sure is a...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Bob Neill (AM): I am sure that is right. It is a shame that GOL are not here so that we could have heard it be said. Brian Coleman (Chair): Indeed, we wish Mr Kowalczyk was here, so we could pay tribute to him this morning, but unfortunately he is not. I am sure, however, his spies are in the audience somewhere. Can I just ask, Mr Mayer, are you saying we need, in your professional opinion as an officer ' or 'mere bureaucrat,' as you describe yourself ' that we need an office of emergency planning in London?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Let me share your optimism and your confidence ' which I think I do, really ' for what would happen in, say, the first 48 hours, when we deal with the immediate crisis. What I would like to probe is what happens after the first, say, 48 hours, when we really are getting into the recovery period, when it is, perhaps, less of a crisis and more of an emergency. Who is going to be taking charge then? What is the role of the Mayor and the GLA, and what are the roles of the individual London boroughs? Who is...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

I would have thought that within minutes it would have been obvious even to the most lowly of Londoners whether an issue was of a major catastrophe or just a local incident, so I am surprised that it is going to take 48 hours to determine who takes the lead, because as soon as something happens, in less than 48 seconds, CNN and Sky will want to be there, and they will be taking the lead. Therefore, who actually is going to fill that gap whilst you are hauling in chief executives from Essex or Hertfordshire, as I know where...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

An important part of what we want to try to achieve is to reassure Londoners that proper procedures are in place. What reassurance is there? What can I say to my constituency as to who is in charge at the moment for planning a) for resilience, b) for recovery? Secondly, who is providing the money for those, and where is it going?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Is that the answer to all the questions? The whole lot? At the moment, we have a scenario where the boroughs have some emergency planning, civil defence, old-fashioned-type powers. LFEPA has some powers. The other emergency services have a smattering of powers. Are you satisfied, Mr Mayer, that we have an accountable form of joining those together, or do we have a reassurance gap, as far as London is concerned? It may be being done by Nick Raynsford, but how do we assure Londoners that it is being'?