• Question by: Richard Barnbrook
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Richard Barnbrook (AM): Mayor Boris, in my own constituency of Barking and Dagenham there are knife attacks once a week and once every four weeks there is a fatality. Winston McKenzie [an independent candidate for Mayor of London in 2008] put forward a very good project on external sports outside of schools, such as boxing. Is it beneficial for this Assembly and yourself maybe to have a conversation with Winston McKenzie to see if he can give any assistance with prevention [of crime] rather than just stopping?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

John Biggs (AM): The second question then perhaps will be a bit more difficult. Would you accept that in the campaign just past when one read some of the Conservative propaganda it risked stigmatising all the young people and it risked also scaring older people and helping to perpetuate the impression they could not safely leave their doors at night because of the fear of crime when the statistics show that it is extraordinary unlikely that they would be a victim? I do accept there is an issue about people's fear of crime and we need to work on that...

• Question by: Kit Malthouse
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Kit Malthouse (AM): One of the biggest threats to efficient policing and continuing levels of policing in London is the Government funding situation. As you will be aware, the Metropolitan Police Service is on the funding floor in terms of grant and there are funding threats being felt by the organisation. I know you had a meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discuss funding for London. I just wonder whether you could enlighten us more about what assurances he gave you that London will not be penalised in the next funding round for voting Conservative and that he...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

John Biggs (AM): The two questions are: first, would you agree that, in tackling youth crime and getting people into productive lifestyles, one size does not fit all, and so although boxing may be very character building for some it may not be for all and that we need a diversity of provision in London, not just follow the model of one particular project for example?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Jenny Jones (AM): On that topic, London's Cycling Campaigns had a very good idea about putting some bike maintenance training into schools in disadvantaged areas so that young people can have a very practical training if they are failing a bit academically. I did send this idea to one of your advisers and he has not got back to me yet. Could you ask him to get back to me on that?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Jenny Jones (AM): Going back to your comments saying that there are winners and losers, is this a purely mathematical exercise? For example, if the people who complain about air pollution are more than the number of drivers who want to go through the tunnel, does that mean you will not do it?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Roger Evans (AM): You will be aware, Mr Mayor, that the last administration here was not particularly good at communicating with boroughs around London. Indeed the decision to cease the tidal flow was only communicated to Greenwich Council a couple of hours beforehand because their traffic manager saw one of the signs flashing by the side of the road as she drove into work. Otherwise they would not have known at all. Will you undertake to consult with the boroughs along the A2 about your proposed solution to the Blackwall Tunnel problem so that they are fully involved and can...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

John Biggs (AM): I have the privilege of representing the good people of Poplar, among other places, who live around the northern exit of the Blackwall Tunnel and who suffer horrendous problems of air quality and congestion as a result of that being the only crossing within Greater London down river from Rotherhithe. There are very real concerns. You need to understand that there are concerns about the continued over congestion of the Blackwall Tunnel and that simply reintroducing contra flow is merely a stopgap. It may itself have severe health and safety problems and you will obviously need to...

• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Richard Tracey (AM): Mr Mayor, could I bring up the whole safety point about extending Heathrow at all. My constituency is on the flight path a little further out than my colleague, Mr Barnes, but the fact is that with an extension of Heathrow there could be a really serious disaster waiting to happen. We saw it come very close very recently when the plane almost landed short of the runway and surely this is one of the most compelling arguments against the expansion.

• Question by: Kit Malthouse
• Meeting date: 21 May 2008

Kit Malthouse (AM): Colleagues who have questioned you already about Heathrow represent areas of London that live with the menace and the nuisance that the airport causes. One of the issues I think is that there has not yet been a realisation across large parts of London that the third runway will result in a significant deterioration of standard of living, particularly across the north of the area that I represent, through north London. Would you consider negotiating with air traffic control and consider the possibility of using your resources to charter an extremely large aircraft and fly it for...