• Question by: Richard Barnbrook
• Meeting date: 17 June 2009

Good morning, Mayor Boris. I am quite happy that the Chair of the [Assembly's] Health Committee, James [Cleverly], brought this forward as I have been banging on about the TB problem since I have been here. I realise that measles is also on the agenda. In my own borough of Barking and Dagenham - in fact in my own ward of Goresbrook - when I have asked the council what it was going to do about the outbreak in Cambell School it simply said, 'Well we're dealing with it'. When I put motions and questions asking to have full immunisation...

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

Can I express my deep concern about the savings being proposed on the library service? I know that one of the public services that lots of local authorities get a lot of kudos and credit for is maintaining the library services that we have across the whole of London so I am actually deeply and privately very concerned about the numbers of staff that have been reduced in the library and I wanted to know what your views are given that you are a great book lover?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

It is right, as you say, that this organisation, just as Londoners have to tighten their belts, should also be tightening its belt. Would you agree, however, that this is only the first notch of the belt that you are tightening given that the total number of real reductions that you are making is only 39 people, ie that people who are in post are only being reduced by 39 and that there is still a long way to go? Is it not right that the best way to ensure that this organisation is slim and is strategic is for...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

Mr Mayor, can I congratulate you on finding at least something to congratulate the previous Mayor on over these last eight years. I have scratched my head many a time to find it and there you are with it all together. Mr Mayor, would you join me in reminding all Members around this table that Organising for Delivery is now going through a proper and due process and we are in part of the consultation period for that Organising for Delivery, that all Members have the opportunity and indeed the right to contribute to that consultation and it is at...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

I think we have already established today that you have designed with the cycle hire scheme a scheme that does not work. Do you think that this structure at City Hall --

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

Mr Mayor, certainly from this side we welcome your commitment to addressing the severe problems of overcrowding in London and it is about time we had a Mayor who did address those particular issues. Your firm commitment to the 30,000 new socially rented properties is going to make a real difference to Londoners in those parts of London where overcrowding is a particular problem. I must however take issue with one particular part of --

• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

Mr Mayor, in order to improve the quality of life real measures need to be taken to address the question of overcrowding. Would you, in the London design guide, be stipulating enhanced standards for private and public open spaces because that is an integral part of what we are talking about? Not only do we have space standards with larger room sizes etc within the accommodation but part of the accommodation is quality of life for children and for families to enjoy the spaces outside as well, both the private within their states and their public spaces as well.

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

Mr Mayor, we partly answered my question [Q1384 - 'Overcrowding'] which I will now withdraw. Mr Mayor, getting back to the general debate around social housing, do you share my despair at this rather stale accusation that somehow Conservatives are anti social housing which is absolute tosh? Speaking particularly as an ex-council house boy myself and speaking for Croydon borough which actually is the only borough that I know of that is building actively council houses. The need for affordable housing is very strong. As the owner of two young, rather handsome, sons the chance of them getting on the...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

I will be very brief. I am delighted that you have reversed your decision that the Dockland Light Railway (DLR) extension to Dagenham is unfundable and unsupportable and I think that shows a slight contradiction in your thinking but it is a delightful one and I think it takes us to the core of this --

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

I defer to no one with my support for the tram extension up to Upper Norwood and I thank Valerie's [Shawcross] for her interest in all things Croydon. Mr Mayor, would you not agree that there is a theme here around funding? The theme is that all Labour administrations tend to run out of spending other people's money - and I say this as an incoming Conservative administration to Croydon in 2006, because when you get into an administration post a Labour administration and you open the books you tend to see an appalling mess of finances. Mr Mayor, can...