• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 15 June 2011

Mr Mayor, you may have noticed that in this latest survey crime and policing are not the major concern of Londoners. They say that one very useful improvement could be education and training in London. Does that not show that your policy about apprenticeships is most welcome at this time?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 15 June 2011

I was going to make it in order, Chair, by saying would the Mayor congratulate London Fire Brigade and the other parts of the GLA family for the proficient actions yesterday of the major fire at the Aldwych, which took a considerable amount of police, fire, ambulance and other resources yesterday. Due to proficient action the wonderful first night of Shrek was able to take place despite a major incident taking place a few yards away.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 June 2011

Just a quick question: one of the causes of street homelessness is people falling through the cracks of the benefit system so would you agree with me that one of the best ways to help these charities is by lobbying energetically against the Government's reforms, particularly the so-called benefit cap and the impact that will have on housing provision in central London?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

I very much hope, Mr Mayor, that you will ignore any comments made by Vincent Cable and Edward Davey, with regard to your attitude to strikes on the Underground. You will know that Mr Cable, just before the last election, on Any Questions [BBC radio programme], memorably said that he would consider taking action against strikes on the railways. Similar sentiments were expressed by Mr Davey. Their constituents and your constituents in Kingston and Twickenham will be absolutely astonished - from these prime commuter areas - that their Members of Parliament seem to be taking the side of the blackmailing...

• Question by: Richard Barnbrook
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

Mayor, you mentioned £2 million going into the music for youngsters - hopefully that is across the board of all communities - but might this just be a stopgap, with education cuts on music lessons? The money may not be sufficient enough and maybe what should be really done is to enhance music lessons in schools to capture children from primary level all the way up to secondary level, to give them a boost in music.

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

Good morning, Mr Mayor. Can I just ask you about industrial relations on the Tube. London First recently have said that both the unions and the employers have done themselves no credit in recent years and Londoners do indeed want to see some common sense breaking out. Last week, Vince Cable MP, the Business Secretary, was reported in the media to have told you to reach out to the unions. The Minister for Employment Relations, Ed Davey MP, went on further, I think, insisting that you should stop asking the Government to solve the problem. He rather criticised you for...

• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

Mr Mayor, given you just talked about this in terms of industrial relations with the unions, have you any plans to meet the trade unions?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Mr Mayor, would you accept that a vast majority of Londoners expect you to take a tough line with the leadership of trade unions who are clearly pursuing agendas for political purposes, out of touch with their ordinary hard working and decent members? What you also suggested, in your second mayoral term, which we are all looking forward to, is the relationship between LU and its various trade unions is a key area that you have to tackle. Would you further accept that perhaps the Government should deliver on its end of trade union reform as...

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

Thank you. This will be a continued theme. We talked about infrastructure in outer London boroughs, and we had a long debate about that. But my residents in Sutton, when I do speak to them, particularly feel vexed about the Network Rail service into the centre of London. It comes up time and time again, and I know that is not directly under your

• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 18 May 2011

Mr Mayor, can I add to what my colleague, Steve O'Connell has said, because it is not simply Sutton that is affected by this. There is in fact an all party campaign about this situation. This particular measure that has been talked about by Network Rail affects my constituents in the Mitcham and Morden part of Merton. It also affects people in Lambeth too, and it is not simply length of trains and so on; the real point that our constituents are making is that they do need the through service, not only to get to Luton Airport, but also...