The London Assembly Plenary meeting on 5 February 2026 addressed a range of critical issues, including fire safety in London, the impact of new government regulations on disabled residents, and concerns regarding the Metropolitan Police Service. Key decisions included noting the Mayor's commitments and considering various motions proposed by Assembly Members.

Fire and Rescue Services in London

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a question and answer session concerning fire safety in London, with contributions from Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, and Jonathan Smith, the London Fire Commissioner. Assembly Members posed supplementary questions on various aspects of the London Fire Brigade's (LFB) operations.

Hina Bokhari OBE AM raised several points regarding the LFB. She inquired about the Brigade's stance on requiring LFB staff to declare membership of Freemasonry, similar to a recent decision by the Metropolitan Police. The LFB stated that its Declaration of Interest Policy requires officers to declare any interests that could impact their judgment, including membership of the Freemasons, particularly for senior officers. Bokhari also asked for a breakdown of donations received from London Freemasons between January 2021 and the present day. The LFB confirmed that the last donation was received in the financial year ending 31 March 2021, totalling £1,240,000, with no further donations since.

Concerns were also raised about the proposed Edgware Bus Garage development, specifically the co-location of a high-capacity electric bus charging facility beneath a residential building. The LFB's primary concerns centre on the fire safety challenges posed by battery fires, smoke management, and evacuation routes, particularly the potential for a thermal runaway fire to compromise the structural integrity of the residential tower above. The LFB is providing independent professional advice to Transport for London (TfL) on this matter.

Furthermore, Bokhari questioned the LFB's initiatives to improve the representation of women in senior leadership roles, such as Borough Commanders. The Brigade outlined several initiatives, including research into barriers to progression, a coaching network, the Officer Development Programme, and support from Equality Support Groups (ESGs). The results of research into barriers faced by underrepresented staff are expected to be published in spring 2026, following engagement with staff and trade unions.

The Privacy for All programme, aimed at creating universal resting rooms and shower facilities across LFB stations, was also discussed. By the end of January 2026, 50 out of a planned 103 stations had been completed, with further progress anticipated.

Questions were also raised about lithium-ion battery e-bike fires, with the LFB stating it does not have a dedicated budget for the #ChargeSafe campaign but utilises existing communications resources. The Brigade is using international comparators and analysing incident data to understand the evolving threat posed by these batteries. Regarding employment tribunals, the LFB confirmed it does not have ring-fenced funds but uses designated legal budgets. While the number of employment tribunals remained static in 2023 and 2024, an uplift in 2025 was attributed to increased conduct-related dismissals following the reinforcement of a zero tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, and discrimination. The LFB anticipates a reduction in tribunals as cultural improvements are embedded.

Petitions

The Assembly considered petitions presented by Assembly Members. Thomas Turrell AM presented a petition calling for new speed cameras on roads in Hayes and Coney Hall to reduce speeding and support Bromley Council's efforts to reduce road casualties. The petition garnered 211 signatories. Turrell also presented a petition opposing the Mayor of London's plans to reduce the opening hours of Bexleyheath Police Station's front counter, which had 5,616 signatories. Hina Bokhari OBE AM presented a petition calling on Transport for London to prioritise bringing step-free access to South Wimbledon tube station, with 1,007 signatories.

The Assembly also noted the response received to a petition presented by Hina Bokhari OBE AM on 3 July 2025, which called for the appointment of a Disability Equality Champion. The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, responded that his Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard, leads this work and convenes a Deaf and Disabled People's Organisations' Forum. The Mayor's Disability Action Plan is due to be published in spring 2026.

Motions

Several motions were considered by the Assembly.

One motion, proposed by Hina Bokhari OBE AM and seconded by Gareth Roberts AM, expressed concerns about the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, which are due to come into effect on 6 April 2026. The motion highlighted issues with the regulations, including the use of reasonable endeavours instead of best endeavours for identifying residents needing Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), the burden placed on individuals to initiate protection, the lack of mandatory professional qualifications for carrying out assessments, and the restriction of funding to social housing residents. The Assembly resolved to request the Chair write to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government to urge a re-think of these regulations, and to call upon the Mayor to join this request. The London Fire Commissioner was also called upon to write to the Minister, reminding them of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's recommendation for a new legal duty on building owners to prepare PEEPs.

A motion proposed by Alex Wilson AM and seconded by Keith Prince AM expressed concern over the Secretary of State for Justice's plans to abolish the right to a jury trial for offences with a likely sentence of three years or less. The motion argued that the backlog in the Crown Court is due to a failing estate, not the jury system, and that sacrificing the right to trial by jury sets a harmful precedent. The Assembly resolved to call upon the Mayor to write to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Prime Minister to express opposition to the curtailment of jury trials.

Susan Hall AM proposed a motion congratulating the Government on its impressive commitment to policy flexibility, referencing a list of 14 U-turns since coming into office. The motion noted the damaging impact of policy uncertainty on London's economy and investment prospects. The Assembly called on the Mayor to raise these concerns with his Government counterparts.

Emma Best AM proposed a motion recognising the importance of the TfL advertising estate for revenue and public messaging. The motion called on the Mayor to work with the Assembly on a cross-party basis to utilise non-commercial space on the TfL network for public health messaging, identifying cross-party campaigns and reviewing TfL's current operational messaging.

Mayoral Commitments

The Assembly noted the commitments made by the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, during London Assembly (Mayor's Question Time) meetings held between November 2025 and January 2026. These commitments covered a wide range of areas, including transport, policing, business, economy, health, planning, housing, and GLA administration.

Notable commitments included:

• Transport: The Mayor assured that there would be a compensation scheme for Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) drivers facing delays in relicensing and committed to arranging a meeting with TfL to discuss the issue further. He also stated he had no plans to introduce a pay-per-mile scheme and would share his written representations to the Government on the matter. The Mayor agreed to review TfL's advertising policy to better support net-zero targets and committed to working with Assembly Members to address concerns about ticket barriers at stations like Hayes and to increase visible policing at railway terminals. He also agreed to explore options for improving services at Southgate Underground Station and to consider additional stops for the Elizabeth line at Acton Main Line and Hanwell stations.
• Policing: The Mayor acknowledged concerns about police morale and committed to following up on the collection of data regarding officer suicides. He also agreed to work with Assembly Members to explore how other police forces collect this data. He stated he would review the details of an amendment to mandate data collection for police forces before offering support. The Mayor also committed to writing to the Secretary of State for Justice and the Prime Minister to express the Assembly's opposition to the curtailment of jury trials. He agreed to write to the Assembly with ideas for encouraging more reservists, special constables, and volunteers. The Mayor expressed support for a national inquiry into child sexual abuse and confirmed the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) would cooperate fully. He also committed to providing a timeline regarding the MPS's actions on vetting and cultural change. The Mayor agreed to look into the decision to transfer responsibility for Safer Neighbourhood Boards (SNBs) from MOPAC to the MPS and to address concerns about potential funding cuts to SNBs.
• Business and Economy: The Mayor reiterated his commitment to lobbying the Government for more resources for policing in London. He agreed to look into the plans of the Mayor of Manchester and the Mayor of New York City regarding delivery riders' rights and safety. He also expressed willingness to review the Newham Community Project's report on e-bike fire safety.
• Health: The Mayor urged Londoners to get their flu vaccine and assured that the Public Health Team is working with the sector to ensure vaccine availability. He expressed concern about proposed pay cuts for bank emergency nurses and promised to speak to the Department of Health or the relevant Minister.
• Planning and Housing: The Mayor stated he would ask his team to review figures regarding accessible housing targets and work with Assembly Members to address concerns about meeting the ten per cent wheelchair dwelling standard. He expressed confidence in the accuracy of the Affordable Housing Programme figures but agreed to investigate allegations of premature counting of housing starts. The Mayor also committed to lobbying the Government to change laws regarding leasehold schemes and to explore funding for renters' unions, subject to budget constraints. He reaffirmed his public calls for rent controls and mentioned the introduction of City Hall rent-controlled homes. He agreed to read Lord Bailey of Paddington's report, Get London Building, and to explore countercyclical measures for London's housing market. The Mayor stated that while City Hall cannot micromanage all housing projects, there are provisions to claw back grant funding for breaches and remedial actions. He agreed to facilitate a meeting between James Small-Edwards AM and the design team appointed for Oxford Street.
• GLA Business and Administration: The Mayor confirmed that some legs of his Africa trip were in economy class and offered to send a detailed breakdown of travel costs.

Other Business

The Assembly also noted the date of the next meeting and confirmed there were no items of urgent business.