Mayor of London Transport Strategy - Consultation Process - How many aware within LB Southwark?

Dear Ruthlyn Black
Re: Your request for information: 4681
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 15 January
2010 in which you requested:
It has become apparent that many organisations and members of the
public in LB Southwark were not aware of the recent consultation
into the Draft Mayor of London Transport Strategy.

Please explain the steps that Southwark Council took with TfL to
make the public aware of consultation into the Draft Mayor of
London Transport Strategy.

(1) What publicity was undertaken across LB Southwark by TfL and by
LB Southwark?

(2) What was published that explained the Draft Strategy and the
consultation process and how were these made available?

(3) What steps were taken to try to ensure a balanced cross-section
of the public was made aware of the process?

(4) Where were leaflets distributed, and how was this decided?
What analysis suggested this would lead to a fair and balanced
distribution across the community?

(5) What steps were taken to ensure that hard-to-reach sections of
the community, such as those who travel exclusively by private car,
were made aware of the consultation process and encouraged to
participate in it?

(6) What consultation discussions took place between LB Southwark
and TfL over how this process would operate?
To what extent was the council consulted over the detail of the
consultation, and what views did it express?

(7) Is the council happy with the consultation process?
Was the council happy that the online questionnaire was so
flagrantly biased?
Was the council happy that were responders allowed to pick as many
as they chose from an uncosted wish-list?

(7) What steps were taken to inform and involve organisations
likely to have an interest?

(8) What programme of meetings was organised?
Did Southwark Council ask TfL to attend meetings of the council's
Neighbourhood Partnerships, and how many did receive reports on the
consultation from TfL?

(9) How many meetings took place within LB Southwark between TfL
and the council as part of the consultation process?
What about with local groups in LB Southwark?

(10) What pre-consultation took place with interested parties to
ensure that the process was fair and balanced?

(11) Does the council support a MTS consultation on the Draft Mayor
of London Transport Strategy that offers so little for the driver -
private motorist or professional driver of taxi, minicab, van,
lorry or bus?
How important are private drivers in the overall use of transport
in Southwark?
Has the council expressed concerns over this unfair and unbalanced
aspect of the consultation process?

(12) Does the council support a MTS in which the promotion of
cycling within the draft MTS does not also include warnings on the
dangers of this mode?
Does the council support the proposition that a mass switch to
cycling would be beneficial justified, and on what evidence?

(13) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which costings
of various suggestions were not put forward, so that the public
could see how much tax each would entail?

(14) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which there was
no question on the level of subsidy that each mode should receive?

(15) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which no
question is asked as to whether the users of a mode should bear
all, most, some or whatever proportion of the costs of providing
that mode?

(16) What representations has or will the council make regarding
the consultation process into the Draft MTS as a result of this
enquiry or otherwise?
Your request is being dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and you will receive a response within 20 working days of the date that we
received your request.

If the information you requested contains reference to a third party then
they may be consulted before a decision is taken on whether or not to
release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case.

The Act defines a number of exemptions that may restrict the release of
the requested information. There will be an assessment and if any of the
exemption categories apply then the information may not be released. You
will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

The information provided will be in English, normal font size. If you
require alternative formats, e.g. other language, audio, large print, etc.
please notify us.

Further information on the Freedom of Information Act is available through
the Information Commissioner at the:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire. SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
Internet: [1]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
Yours sincerely
Lloyd George Ndita
Freedom of Information officer

To help create a sustainable environment please think carefully before you
print this e-mail. Do not print it unless it is really necessary.

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/

Dear Ruthlyn Black,

Please note that your original response was received at 20:38 on Friday
Jan 15, therefore the 20 workings days deadline expires today and has
not passed.
A response will be with you shortly, but please note that the request
was not straightforward and involved many areas of the department.

Regards,

Laura Wannop
Freedom of information officer

show quoted sections

Dear Ruthlyn Black
Re: Your request for information: 4681
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 15 Jan
2010 in which you requested:

1. What publicity was undertaken across LB Southwark by TfL and by LB
Southwark?

(2) What was published that explained the Draft Strategy and the
consultation process and how were these made available?

(3) What steps were taken to try to ensure a balanced cross-section of
the public was made aware of the process?

(4) Where were leaflets distributed, and how was this decided? What
analysis suggested this would lead to a fair and balanced distribution
across the community?

(5) What steps were taken to ensure that hard-to-reach sections of the
community, such as those who travel exclusively by private car, were made
aware of the consultation process and encouraged to participate in it?

(6) What consultation discussions took place between LB Southwark and
TfL over how this process would operate? To what extent was the council
consulted over the detail of the consultation, and what views did it
express?

(7) Is the council happy with the consultation process? Was the
council happy that the online questionnaire was so flagrantly biased? Was
the council happy that were responders allowed to pick as many as they
chose from an uncosted wish-list?

(8) What steps were taken to inform and involve organisations likely
to have an interest?

(9) What programme of meetings was organised? Did Southwark Council
ask TfL to attend meetings of the council's Neighbourhood Partnerships,
and how many did receive reports on the consultation from TfL?

(10) How many meetings took place within LB Southwark between TfL and
the council as part of the consultation process? What about with local
groups in LB Southwark?

(11) What pre-consultation took place with interested parties to ensure
that the process was fair and balanced?

(12) Does the council support a MTS consultation on the Draft Mayor of
London Transport Strategy that offers so little for the driver - private
motorist or professional driver of taxi, minicab, van, lorry or bus? How
important are private drivers in the overall use of transport in
Southwark? Has the council expressed concerns over this unfair and
unbalanced aspect of the consultation process?

(13) Does the council support a MTS in which the promotion of cycling
within the draft MTS does not also include warnings on the dangers of this
mode? Does the council support the proposition that a mass switch to
cycling would be beneficial justified, and on what evidence?

(14) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which costings of
various suggestions were not put forward, so that the public could see how
much tax each would entail?

(15) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which there was no
question on the level of subsidy that each mode should receive?

(16) Does the council support a MTS consultation in which no question
is asked as to whether the users of a mode should bear all, most, some or
whatever proportion of the costs of providing that mode?

(17) What representations has or will the council make regarding the
consultation process into the Draft MTS as a result of this enquiry or
otherwise?

In response to questions (1) to (5) and (8) and (11) the information you
have requested is not held by Southwark Council, as this was a TfL
consultation exercise the request for this information should be directed
to TfL.

(4) I attach an internal email regarding the supply of leaflets for
their Transport Consultative Forum meeting
<<RE: The Mayor's Transport Strategy leaflets>>

6. There were no discussions around the consultation process between
Southwark Council and TfL. The council was not consulted on the detail
of their consultation
7. The council responds to consultations from the Mayor on a regular
basis, this consultation was no different to other strategies. An
opinion of whether it was sufficient or not was not discussed.
8. Southwark Council discussed the strategy at a Transport Consultative
Forum and I attach the minutes of that meeting for your information.
No requests were made by Southwark Council to meet with TfL to discuss
the strategy.

<<Southwark Public Transport Consultative Forum minutes 12 November
09.doc>>
(10) Southwark Council did not meet with TfL regarding this
consultation process. It is not known whether TfL met with other groups
within Southwark. TfL would need to supply this information.

Questions (12) to (17) relate to the council's response to the Mayor's
Transport Strategy. The formal response to the consultation was agreed by
the Executive at a meeting held on Dec 15 2009. The full report and
response can be found on the council website at:
[1]http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/ieLi...

The response was item 16 on the agenda and sets out clearly the council's
response to the Mayor's Transport Strategy.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make an appeal for a review of our decision, you
should write to:

Corporate Freedom of Information Officer
Communities, Law & Governance Department
PO Box 65429'
London SE1 5LX
Email: [2][Southwark Borough Council request email]
If you are not content with the outcome your appeal, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the
Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have first
exhausted our internal appeal procedure and you should contact him within
2 months of the outcome of your internal appeal.

Further information on the Freedom of Information Act is available through
the Information Commissioner at the:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire. SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
Internet: [3]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Laura Wannop

Freedom of information officer
Regeneration & neighbourhoods
PO Box 64529
London
SE1P 5LX

t: 020 7525 5352
e: [email address]
[4]www.southwark.gov.uk/regeneration

To help create a sustainable environment please think carefully before you
print this e-mail. Do not print it unless it is really necessary.

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://moderngov.southwarksites.com/ieLi...
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/
4. file://www.southwark.gov.uk/regeneration

Dear Ruthlyn Black,

Thank you for the further queries raised as a result of our response.
I have asked the team for the letter detailing the final response to the
consultation and will supply this as soon as I can. I've also asked the
team to provide any additional comments regarding TfLs actions.

Unfortunately I am on leave from this afternoon until Monday Feb 22 due
to family commitments, but I have asked the team to have everything to
me no later than Friday this week, so that I can respond to you on
Monday.

Regards,

Laura

show quoted sections