• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

That is the basis of it; based on evidence. Nobody would disagree with that.

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

I have started to read Sir Ronnie Flanagan's [Chief Inspector of Constabulary] report. I think it is a report which we can endorse but we have firstly all to sit round and understand what the recommendations are rather than go off and be talking about foot-long forms that are unnecessary and waste police time. There is nothing about wasting police time if it asks the police to deal with citizens with respect and give an account of what they are doing.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

Mr Mayor, what do you consider to be the reasons for having stop and search in the first place?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

At the moment we have extensive amounts of time that police officers have to undertake ' different people say it is different amounts of time between 11 minutes and 20 minutes ' on filling out these forms, depending on their level of ability. Do you think that might be a deterrent to a police officer exercising that judgement?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

I am getting quite uncomfortable here with this discussion. Can I just put on record that stop and search is not a tool to be used against black people; that it is absolutely part of the tools and the way of working of police officers. It is not just based on their intuition, it has to be based on evidence and it is that issue about how the police, as public servants, give an account to a member of the public. Can I as well put on record that it is as relevant for our young people who are more...

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

What do you consider are the main purposes and benefits of filling out these forms?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

Right, so you are making the view, quite reasonably, that it is a matter of judgement?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

So you are happy to see the scrapping of these unnecessary proposals?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

When would you expect a police officer to exercise those powers of stop and search?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

In fact, filling out these forms, if they do not find anything, is a complete waste of time?