• 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?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

I am sorry, Chair, but, with due respect, I do not think the Mayor has answered the question. It is surely very easy to give a figure. I can give you the number amongst the top earners in the fire service, for example - 15 of the 100 top earners in the fire service are women. A figure that, in my view, is not high enough but a figure which has increased --

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

Indeed but LFEPA and the fire brigade have, sadly, got a century and a half's history of only employing men - certainly in operational roles - something which only changed 20/25 years ago, whereas the transport services in this city have got a completely different history. You are saying that some of the issues that were applied to LFEPA over the last years in fighting sexism and other issues apply to TfL?

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

I have absolutely no problems about Network Rail lengthening the platforms in Barnes and Putney and Wandsworth Town which it is doing to allow for longer trains and I most certainly have no problems about London Underground upgrading the Wimbledon branch of the District line. What is very important is that they do not do these works on the same weekends because, as I pointed out in the question, my constituents were seriously inconvenienced. Can I ask you to talk to TfL to make sure that it does talk in very great detail well in advance with Network Rail to...

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

Lastly, Mr Mayor, on the same theme, will you agree with me and applaud with me today's notification that the City of London at last is expected to hand a legal notice to the so-called campers outside St Paul's Cathedral which, hopefully - particularly if the church can get its act together - will end - and I paraphrase -- Jennette Arnold (Chair): Mr O'Connell, will you stay with Croydon? Steve O'Connell (AM): I paraphrase a journalist from your previous magazine. 'It will finally end this open air mass sulk'. Would you anticipate hopefully that will be the end of...

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

Thank you, Mr Mayor. Absolutely the bravery of those officers, men and women, on the front line that night in Croydon and elsewhere is to be commended and I know that is the case. There are, as you are aware, various reviews in to the police and others' performance over those few nights that we should not pre-judge. What my residents particularly want to see - and we are seeing some comfort with the new Commissioner - is with the smack of a firm hand in the leadership applied on the streets. Would you welcome that too, Mr Mayor?

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

You mentioned last week's events. Would you agree with me that the handling of the so-called student rally last week - again very firmly and very fairly with a very low number of arrests - was very much the way that we should expect our police to handle demonstrations, particularly demonstrations that cannot be trusted to be peaceful?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

All of us who saw the riots that happened in Croydon were distressed and concerned that we might see them spread to some of our own areas where we were less affected. Certainly, Mr Mayor, in Havering we managed to reduce the level of disruption in the town centre because the police deployed to the main railway station at Romford and met the rioters and looters when they turned up there, took their photographs, wished them well and told them to have a nice evening in town but not to do any damage. By and large they did not. Do...

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2011

Mr Mayor, would you agree with me that one thing that did work well on 8 August 2011 in Croydon was the close liaison cooperation between the local police and the local fire brigade down there? The borough fire commander in Croydon and his staff worked very closely with the police. A model for the rest of London. Would you also remember, when the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Croydon following the riots they were very impressed by the close working of the emergency services. That element is vital to dealing with matters such as the...