0:00:00 > 0:00:01be able to comprehend what's just happened is when I wake
0:00:11 > 0:00:18Good evening, I'm Riz Lateef.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20First tonight, a BBC London investigation has revealed
0:00:20 > 0:00:22the multi million pound bill facing Councils to improve fire
0:00:22 > 0:00:25safety for tenants.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Following the Grenfell tragedy, a total of £383 million will be
0:00:28 > 0:00:30spent by local authorities.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33More than half of those contacted by this programme say
0:00:33 > 0:00:37they can't meet the costs and need financial help.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40The Government has yet to agree to pay, but says it will listen
0:00:40 > 0:00:41to concerns over funding.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Susana Mendonca has this exclusive report.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Hello, Mr Rahman, very good to see you.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51How do you feel about your new front door?
0:00:51 > 0:00:55A personal inspection from the man holding the purse strings here.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59This family is among the first to get a brand-new fire door
0:00:59 > 0:01:03in Tower Hamlets and it has made them feel safer.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08I am very happy at the moment because there is a new door coming
0:01:08 > 0:01:13in and it means more safety and I am happy.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16His block is one of six towers on the Cranbrook estate where fire
0:01:16 > 0:01:20resistant panels have also been going in.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24The work is being done to improve fire safety for almost 300 flats
0:01:24 > 0:01:30here after the Grenfell fire.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35But Tower Hamlets does not have the budget to put sprinklers
0:01:35 > 0:01:38in right now and it says it is time for the government to stump up some
0:01:38 > 0:01:41cash to help councils in tomorrow's budget.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44We are spending £7.5 million this year on urgent actions to these
0:01:44 > 0:01:47blocks and we are spending about another 30 over the next few
0:01:47 > 0:01:49years to get up-to-date with our basic fire safety.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51That does not include sprinklers which we think will be
0:01:51 > 0:01:53about another 20 on top of that.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57That money does not grow on a tree, we would either have to put our rent
0:01:57 > 0:01:58up or borrow it from somewhere.
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Safety is not negotiable.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03We need to get a move on if we need to have sprinklers and, yes,
0:02:03 > 0:02:04we would expect funding for that.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Following the Grenfell Tower fire the government said it would do
0:02:07 > 0:02:10whatever it took to make high-rise building safe, but our research
0:02:10 > 0:02:14shows that most London boroughs are facing mounting costs.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Councils across London have told us that they are spending more
0:02:17 > 0:02:22than £383 million on fire safety measures as a direct result
0:02:22 > 0:02:25of the Grenfell Tower fire.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28They include things like removing cladding, installing new fire doors
0:02:28 > 0:02:32and also putting in sprinklers and 15 of the councils we spoke
0:02:32 > 0:02:35to said they had written to the government asking for help
0:02:35 > 0:02:39which has so far not been forthcoming.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43In Wandsworth the council is fitting sprinklers to 99 of its tower blocks
0:02:43 > 0:02:47at a cost of £30 million.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Its Conservative leader says that's what his budget reserves are for,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53although he too would like to see the Chancellor offer some
0:02:53 > 0:02:55help to councils tomorrow.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Wandsworth has been very prudent with its management
0:02:58 > 0:03:00of the housing account.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03We have the resources in fact to put money aside for the fire
0:03:03 > 0:03:05safety requirements.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08But we would certainly like help so we could actually ease the burden
0:03:08 > 0:03:10and cover any other unforeseen costs in the blocks.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13The government said it would consider financial
0:03:13 > 0:03:16flexibilities for councils that are doing essential safety work.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Cash-strapped London boroughs will be wondering whether that means
0:03:20 > 0:03:30they will have anything to cheer about after the budget.
0:03:30 > 0:03:35It was a promise made to passengers by transport bosses, that all
0:03:35 > 0:03:40stations would be staffed whilst services were running.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Well, we've seen documents showing that underground stations
0:03:42 > 0:03:44are being left unattended, in one case ten times
0:03:44 > 0:03:47in just a month.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Here's our Transport Correspondent, Tom Edwards, with the story.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57At Wimbledon Park Tube station lots of passengers and trains, but not a
0:03:57 > 0:04:02staff member insight. It is just coming up to midday at Wimbledon
0:04:02 > 0:04:08Park station and we cannot find any station staff on duty. The barriers
0:04:08 > 0:04:12are all open, there is no one here to help if you have got any kind of
0:04:12 > 0:04:18problem.I cannot get in. The card and the Freedom pass does not work
0:04:18 > 0:04:24on the machinery.They are very thin on the ground, but it is always
0:04:24 > 0:04:29staffed during the commuting hours. These are incident reporting forms.
0:04:29 > 0:04:34They showed the station was left unattended on ten occasions in
0:04:34 > 0:04:38October. In some cases for long periods. The documents also show
0:04:38 > 0:04:43that in many a ten-year-old boy was separated from his mother and got
0:04:43 > 0:04:48off a train and ended up on this platform, but there was no one here
0:04:48 > 0:04:52to help as the station was unattended. He was found later by a
0:04:52 > 0:04:58train driver who had to stop his train to search for the boy. One
0:04:58 > 0:05:04document says there is an endemic staff shortage. Using the Freedom of
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Information Act we asked Transport for London just how big the problem
0:05:08 > 0:05:13of unattended stations is. They said over a three-month period ten
0:05:13 > 0:05:19stations were left unattended. They included Hornchurch, it can, North
0:05:19 > 0:05:24Harrow, Harlesden and Wimbledon Park. Insiders say the real problem
0:05:24 > 0:05:32is much worse.All Tube stations will be controlled and starved while
0:05:32 > 0:05:35services are operating.When London Underground closed ticket offices it
0:05:35 > 0:05:40promised every station that was operational would have staff.The
0:05:40 > 0:05:43idea that around London stations are being left with no staff means
0:05:43 > 0:05:48passengers are being put at risk, the gates are left open so they are
0:05:48 > 0:05:52losing ticket revenue and it looks like the Tube service is
0:05:52 > 0:05:57short-staffed.London Underground says it is recruiting 320 more staff
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and stations are only left unattended as a last resort.
0:06:01 > 0:06:12Wimbledon Park in October
0:06:17 > 0:06:19on ten occasions was left unattended.We operate the service
0:06:19 > 0:06:21364 days a year, we operate night chips, nearly 5000 staff. In the
0:06:21 > 0:06:24context of the system we operate it is a small amount.The unions say
0:06:24 > 0:06:29this is an unsafe legacy and London Underground now needs to get a grip.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Underground now needs to get a grip.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34All eyes will be on Number 11 tomorrow when the Chancellor reveals
0:06:35 > 0:06:36his Government spending plans.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Watching closely will be London businesses, some of whom are growing
0:06:38 > 0:06:40increasingly anxious over uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42So what do they want from Philip Hammond?
0:06:43 > 0:06:52Here's Katharine Carpenter.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59For London's small businesses the pre-Christmas spending spree
0:06:59 > 0:07:02should bring plenty of cheer, but at this festive fair at Olympia
0:07:02 > 0:07:06it is the traders themselves looking for gifts from the Chancellor,
0:07:06 > 0:07:08particularly ones which will help them meet the challenges
0:07:08 > 0:07:11thrown up by Brexit.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I think it would be really great if they could reduce the VAT
0:07:14 > 0:07:17rate back down to 17.5%.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21Everything is costing more for us to buy but then we are passing
0:07:21 > 0:07:24the cost on to the consumer.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28From recently going to Spain on a buyer's trip I noticed that
0:07:28 > 0:07:31at every conversation Brexit got brought up and I think they are just
0:07:31 > 0:07:35worried to trade with not so much the big businesses which are already
0:07:35 > 0:07:37established, but the small businesses like us who are
0:07:37 > 0:07:39kind of up and coming.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41When Brexit happened there were so many promises
0:07:41 > 0:07:43with regard to small businesses and that probably swung
0:07:43 > 0:07:46a lot of the voters.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50At the moment we are importing from Asia, but we want to switch
0:07:50 > 0:07:53to a European manufacturer and we are very worried that post
0:07:53 > 0:07:59Brexit we will not be able to do that because there will be larger
0:07:59 > 0:08:01import costs bringing it in from Europe.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03It is not just smaller companies hoping they will
0:08:03 > 0:08:04like what is unwrapped tomorrow.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07Big business has been setting out its Brexit budget wish list too,
0:08:07 > 0:08:13including a timetable for a transition period
0:08:13 > 0:08:16so the city can stay competitive, and to keep up the momentum
0:08:16 > 0:08:20on infrastructure projects.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25He should probably focus on things like better rail infrastructure,
0:08:25 > 0:08:30reduce congestion on the roads, as well as better Internet,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33as well as more housing, especially affordable housing,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36for workers in London.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Back at the fair those dependent on markets
0:08:38 > 0:08:42beyond Europe were more bullish.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45With a weaker pound it will help exporters and I am looking forward
0:08:45 > 0:08:48to a continuation of it.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Is there anything you are looking for from the Chancellor?
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Not really, no.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59No, he can cut the tax rate for us, that is for small,
0:08:59 > 0:09:05individual businesses, but, no, good luck really.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Whether businesses are excited by the opportunities
0:09:07 > 0:09:10of Brexit or concerned by it, there does seem to be agreement
0:09:10 > 0:09:19that this is a period of great uncertainty and what they do not
0:09:19 > 0:09:21want from the Chancellor when he unwraps his budget
0:09:21 > 0:09:24are any big surprises.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27That's it for now from me, but lets find out what the weather's
0:09:27 > 0:09:28up to with Sara Thornton.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37It is looking rather pretty. I was trying to brighten up what has been
0:09:37 > 0:09:41a cloudy day and there is more cloud in the forecast for tonight as well
0:09:41 > 0:09:46and with that the mild air. But I want to talk about the wind because
0:09:46 > 0:09:49they are becoming a key feature of the weather through the next 36
0:09:49 > 0:09:56hours. An area of low pressure just tracks its way off to the north and
0:09:56 > 0:10:01east. When you see these white lines across the map that means we are in
0:10:01 > 0:10:05for some windy weather. The rain will hold off for much of the day
0:10:05 > 0:10:09tomorrow but the wind will be picking up and we have a Met Office
0:10:09 > 0:10:13weather warning which runs from nine o'clock tomorrow morning until the
0:10:13 > 0:10:17early hours of Thursday and affects us really towards the end of
0:10:17 > 0:10:24tomorrow. It is mild at 12 Celsius. When the numbers go up that is the
0:10:24 > 0:10:29wind increasing. Up to 40 miles an hour by the end of the day. It will
0:10:29 > 0:10:34be a mild day and it will stay dry for the majority of the day. It is
0:10:34 > 0:10:40only in the evening that we will see some rain. It is overnight tomorrow
0:10:40 > 0:10:44night into Thursday when we get that real squeeze on the isobars and they
0:10:44 > 0:10:49really come through. We could see wind gusts of 50 miles an hour for a
0:10:49 > 0:10:54time but as that system pulls away on Thursday it should turn into a
0:10:54 > 0:10:58fine day. In the outlook you will notice it stars to turn quite a bit
0:10:58 > 0:11:03cooler and by the weekend we will be talking about frost and something
0:11:03 > 0:11:03maybe even