• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 December 2011

Can I follow on because we are all agreed that the costs of all types of housing, family-sized, affordable is going up and that the fundamental answer to that is to increase supply, and you said that actually you are going to do that, but you are not. Can I put it absolutely to you that your new strategy that came out yesterday is incredibly disappointing. On appendix 1, the number of homes delivered per annum is 13,000 fixed, 13,623 previously, 13,710 going forward. So there is no increase in your new strategy, and that is because you say 40,000...

• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

Richard Tracey (AM): Thank you, Chair. Mr Mayor, just to avoid any confusion amongst our listeners and our audience arising from points raised by the other side, can I ask you to confirm that Operation Blunt 2 which you launched in 2008 to deal with knife crime succeeded in making 18,000 arrests and seized 10,000 knives? Is that correct? Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I think the number of knives seized may be slightly higher now but that is right. The crucial thing is that youth violence is down and I am pleased to say, although the statistics are always...

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

Andrew Boff (AM): Of course the decision about the awarding of the mentoring contract was dependent upon those due diligence tests? It was a large factor in reaching that decision?

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

You might not like my line of questioning either. I would like to look at the role of Ray Lewis, your mentoring champion, and the award of the £1.3 million grant aid to a consortium. Are you concerned that Ray Lewis has made no general declaration of interest but nor, indeed, when he took part in the process of the award of the grant aid, did he do any specific declarations of interest in awarding this quite important contract? I should declare that I am a supporter of this work before you start to wallow around for answers here.

• Question by: James Cleverly
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

James Cleverly (AM): Mr Mayor, it is quite clear the game that is being played by the opposition Members in an area of public policy which was not even on the radar of the previous administration and rather than actually deal with substantive issues about serious youth violence and youth crime in London they are trying to concoct some comedy conspiracy theory. Let's go back to what really matters about this, rather than all this mud flinging that is going on from the other side of the Chamber. What is actually happening with regard to serious youth violence in London...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

So you would agree with the Shelter report then that landlords and letting agencies who are now demanding rates of above 50% of take home pay for a two bedroom flat in most boroughs and 50% to 75% of take home pay with a three bedroom flat? You do not think that is reasonable?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

I am very clear that London needs an urgent taskforce to look at the epidemic of unemployment - 25% plus youth unemployment in my constituency. It is a catastrophe and you need to tackle it. One final question. 50% tax rate. Do you still think that is a vital instrument in reinvigorating London's economy and we should scrap the 10%, or would you agree with Mr Cameron, your friend, that it is actually a fair policy in the current circumstances?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

No, no, no. You cooperated with the Labour Government and you said that, 'If we play our cards right London can emerge from this stronger and more prosperous than ever' and it has not. As an active Mayor there is the question of what is Plan B? Let's ask another question then. There is a thing called the London Skills and Employment Board and its role, which sounds pretty appropriate given today's unemployment figures, is, 'To increase support for people who have recently lost their jobs, helping them to get back into employment quickly'. Can you tell us why that...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

You will notice that I have not interrupted you because I think it is very important that you were given an opportunity to answer.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

So that is all that has happened; 30,000 apprentices in three years?