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

Confirmation of Freedom Of Information Request

Thank you for your request for information.

Your request details have now been recorded and will be passed on to the
appropriate Divisional Records Officer for action.

This Freedom Of Information Request was based on the following
information:

Name: Ruthlyn Black
Address: See email address
Email: [FOI #27085 email]
Telephone:
Request Details: It has become apparent that many organisations and
members of the
public in LB Westminster were not aware of the recent consultation
into the Draft Mayor of London Transport Strategy.

Please explain the steps that Westminster 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 Westminster by TfL and
by LB Westminster?

(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 Westminster
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 Westminster 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 Westminster between TfL
and the council as part of the consultation process?
What about with local groups in LB Westminster?

(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 Westminster?
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?

FOI Reference Number: 4855
Target Completion Date: 15/02/2010

Please do not reply to this email.
This is an automatic response to your request, and replies to this message
will not be actioned.

If you need to contact Westminster City Council regarding your request,
please contact:

mailto:[Westminster City Council request email]
Tel:020 7641 3921

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Dear Ms Black,

Thank you for your email below.

I will contact the department dealing with your request for an update as
to when they anticipate being in a position to provide a response.

Yours sincerely,

Tanya Holden
Data Protection & FOI Officer
Knowledge and Information Management
Westminster City Council
101 Orchardson Street
London, NW8 8EA
Tel: 0207 641 6451
Fax: 0207 641 2872
Email: [Westminster City Council request email]
www.westminster.gov.uk

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Dear Ms Black

Thank you for your recent request to the council. You asked to be provided
with the following information relating to the Draft Mayor of London
Transport Strategy and the steps that Westminster 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 Westminster by TfL and by LB
Westminster?

(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 Westminster 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 Westminster 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 Westminster between TfL and the
council as part of the consultation process? What about with local groups
in LB Westminster?

(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
Westminster? 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?

Response

Questions 1 - 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

The information you have requested in relation to these questions are not
held by the Council. This is because the council is under no obligation to
advertise plans developed by the Mayor of London nor do we hold
information relating to Transport for London's consultation process on
this matter. Information on these questions would need to be obtained
directly from Transport for London. For more information on TfL's
consultation process, please refer to their website:
[1]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/11610.aspx

Questions 6, 16

The council was an informal consultee on the Mayor's draft strategy and
the council's response is available on Page 6 of TfL's Report to the Mayor
on the Consultation on the Draft MTS Statement of Intent which is
available from TfL's website:
[2]http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/c...

This information is therefore exempt from disclosure under Section 21 of
the Act (Reasonably Accessible via Other Means)

Questions 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

The FOI Act is for recorded information held by a public authority.
Questions 11 - 15 are asking for the views/opinions of the council with
regard to the Mayor's proposal and therefore these are not covered within
the scope of the Act. However, some of this may be covered in the response
referred to above. For further information on the council's views relating
to transport in Westminster, please refer to our website:
[3]www.westminster.gov.uk

I hope that this answers your query and please accept my apologies for the
delay in responding on this matter. Should you require information
relating to Westminster City Council, please do not hesitate to contact me
at the address below.

Yours sincerely

Catherine Preston
Knowledge and Information Management Team
Information Services

Westminster City Council
101 Orchardson Street
London NW8 8EA
Tel: 020 7641 3921
Fax: 020 7641 2872
Email: [4][Westminster City Council request email]
[5]www.westminster.gov.uk

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References

Visible links
1. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/11610.aspx
2. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/c...
3. http://www.westminster.gov.uk/
4. mailto:[Westminster City Council request email]
5. http://www.westminster.gov.uk/