Sadiq Khan is facing a grilling over London visas, taxies and his abandoned plans for 2m trees
Sadiq Khan faces a grilling over his hopes to launch work permits for London today, with Assembly members also set to press the mayor on the scrapping of tree planting targets and the safe use of smartphone apps by cab drivers
Khan has repeatedly stressed his desire to install a work permit system for the city in the aftermath of the Brexit vote, and told Morning Wire last month that officials were drafting plans to stop businesses being hit by migration reforms.
Khan has said that proposals are still being created, but will be quizzed tomorrow on exact details for the plans.
Conservative Assembly member Tony Devenish will also grill Khan on his plans to increase tree coverage in the capital.
Last week, Khan's officials confirmed that he had axed plans to plant 2m trees across the capital by 2020, opting instead for a plan to boost tree coverage in London by five per cent over 10 years.
Devenish will ask Khan to confirm whether any London Assembly-funded trees have been planted under his mayoralty.
And the mayor will also be pressed on his pledge to limit strike action – during his campaign the former Tooting MP said there would be “zero days of public transport strikes if I am elected mayor”, although his manifesto committed him only to “reducing” strike action.
The questions on Khan's plans will come from London Conservatives during Mayor's Question Time tomorrow morning, which can be viewed live on City Hall's website from 10.00.
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat assembly member Caroline Pidgeon has also secured a question on the use of smartphone apps by taxi drivers on the streets of London.
Pidgeon will raise concerns that the need for a rapid response to requests from potential passengers is unsafe.
Assembly members will get two further opportunities to grill Khan in 2016, with sessions of Mayor’s Question Time scheduled for in November and December.