Sir Simon Milton's Status

On 30th June I posted the following questions about Sir Simon Milton and the "informal agreement" with the mayor about his role:

"Can we see this agreement on the GLA website, please? Can we see the protocol there, please? Was Sir Simon invited to sign the GLA code voluntarily, if not why not and if so why has he not done so? And can we establish any ways in which Sir Simon's activities and influence are different from what they'd be were he an orthodox planning advisor or director? Does he, for example, have an office or desk at City Hall? Does he expect City Hall staff to follow his instructions? Does he have a personal PA or other staff? Does he claim expenses?"

Last Thursday, just as I was scrabbling to leave the house for the Ray Lewis press conference, this arrived in response to my questions about Sir Simon Milton:

"Simon Milton’s position with the Greater London Authority is of an informal nature. For this reason, along with the fact that he is not an employee, he has not been asked to voluntarily sign the code of conduct as it does not apply to him. The protocol between Westminster and GLA will be available shortly online along with the confidentiality agreement. He has also signed the declaration of interests register.

As an informal advisor, Simon Milton does not have the ability to direct GLA staff or bind the authority to any action, or have any decision delegated to him to take. In order for him to provide this advice to the Mayor, some resources have been made available to him including a desk, equipment and briefings from officers on request. Simon Milton would be able to claim expenses as other individuals who provide advice on an informal basis, but to date, has had no need to do so and does not envisage doing so in the future."

Meanwhile, Len Duvall is on the case. Watch this space.