• 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...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

I am pleased to hear that, Mr Mayor, and I am grateful that we have such a lot of things to do in Romford because, yet again at a Bank Holiday, we are going to find ourselves effectively cut off from the centre of London because of rail closures which make it impossible to actually use our Bank Holiday weekend in the centre of town. So I look forward to that meeting. The Labour Group this morning are once again so 2005 in their approach to policy here. We have 'save the Western Extension', 'save the bendy bus', 'bring back...

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

In your discussion with the TOCs and Network Rail are you continuing to press for the removal of some stations in South West London which are currently in Zone 6 but in terms of mileage really ought to be in Zone 5?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 21 May 2009

Mr Mayor, do you recall your visit to Romford a couple of weeks ago --

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

Mr Mayor, I am glad you are talking about this because I would not want you in any way to underestimate the importance of pay as you go Oyster on mainline services coming into being. I get a constant stream of messages from my constituents asking for it. Can I, as the Conservative lead on the Transport Committee, congratulate you on the progress you have made and can I also ask you if, along with the Chair of the Transport Committee, you will invite the rest of the Transport Committee to join you in discussions with the Train Operating Companies...

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

Can I help you perhaps, Mr Mayor, with the language that you should be using in the London Plan? Can the London Plan please say that boroughs will be able to say that there shall not be bus lanes going past these local parades of shops where they are ruining those parades? Can the language please say that we shall not put in red routes past these local shopping parades where there are - all over London as you must see on your bicycle - for sale signs simply because of restrictions which have been placed on shoppers by Transport...