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• Question by: Unmesh Desai
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Unmesh Desai AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning to the panel. My main question is to Tunde [Olayinka] and Hannah [Boylan] and it is about modern slavery. Modern slavery was described by the Archbishop of Westminster, I think in 2016 or 2017, as “the dark underbelly of London’s society”. That still remains the case, although there is a growing and welcome recognition of the issue. In the context of modern slavery, how is it impacting today on refugee communities and what is the LSMP doing to address it? If you want to start off, Tunde [Olayinka], and then if I...

• Question by: Emma Best
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Emma Best AM: I think so. Thanks, Chair. Yes, I was just trying to work out Deputy Mayor [Tom] Copley’s political neutrality, which seemed a lot stronger when he was talking to Assembly Member [Tony] Devenish than Assembly Member [Unmesh] Desai.

• Question by: Marina Ahmad
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Marina Ahmad AM: Thank you, Chair. Good morning, panel. Enver, you spoke earlier about ESOL provision. As you know, ESOL provision was cut through Government austerity by almost 60% before the devolution of the AEB. What impact has this had and should the Government dedicate additional funding to the AEB to rectify the shortfall?

• Question by: Onkar Sahota
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Dr Onkar Sahota AM (Deputy Chair in the Chair): Thank you. I am now going to ask a question in my own right. It is to Hannah. Failure to access to healthcare is not only detrimental for the individual but it also has public health challenges for Londoners. We have heard access to healthcare come up a number of times in the proceedings this morning. Has the GLA been doing any work on helping refugees and asylum seekers access the NHS system? If yes, what has that work been?

• Question by: Leonie Cooper
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Léonie Cooper AM: Thank you very much, Chair. I would like to start with a question to Deputy Mayor Tom Copley, if I may. Hi, Tom. Last year, the Mayor said as the Chair of the C40 Cities Group, “One of my priorities is taking urgent action to address the causes and devastating human cost of forced migration created by the climate emergency”. I wondered if you could outline what actions overall the Mayor has taken in London since then?

• Question by: Zack Polanski
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Zack Polanski AM: Thank you very much, Chair. Good afternoon, panel. Enver, if I can begin with you, I have met recently also with the Joint Council for Welfare of Immigrants. I also went to a protest recently with Reclaim the Sea and spoke to lots of people with lived experience of the system. Something that came up over and over again that you have echoed today is the barrier of not speaking English. In fact, recent census data shows that 303,000 Londoners do not speak English well and 52,000 Londoners do not speak English at all. Page 32 You...

• Question by: Lord Bailey of Paddington
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

Lord Bailey of Paddington AM: Thank you, Chair. This is for Enver. Earlier on in the conversation, Enver, we talked about asylum seekers’ rights to work and the length of time and people wanted to have it shortened. You said for a length of time, but you did not give a length of time. What to you, would be workable, ideal, something around that region?

• Reference: 2023/3600
• Question by: Chair, London Assembly
• Meeting date: 07 September 2023

What are the key issues facing refugees in London in 2023?

• Question by: Siân Berry
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Siân Berry AM: Thank you for coming here, Minister. I have been looking at particularly the £23 million that was allocated by the Government to local authorities and charities last week on 25 January [2020]. This is money for the Community Champions to give vaccine advice and boost the take-up. Looking at the list, it seems that some of the boroughs within London who have not received money are some of the boroughs that have some of the highest populations of minority ethnic groups, in terms of numbers, and some of the most deprived boroughs. I can see Enfield, Croydon...

• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 04 February 2021

Caroline Pidgeon MBE AM: Minister, we know there is much concern over the so-called South African variant. My worry is that these concerns could lead to a noticeable decrease in vaccine take-up. At St George’s Hospital in Tooting yesterday, one in ten people did not turn up for their vaccine. Is this a trend you are noticing in London and what are you doing to assure the public that the vaccines are effective against this variant as well?