• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

So you do not trust the Chief Executive?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

Mr Mayor, the arts funding that you have announced does not actually make up for the cuts, does it, that many arts organisations across London have suffered in Arts Council funding recently? I am thinking particularly of organisations like Community Focus, of which I am a Trustee, which provides arts services to the disabled community in North London. Will you be entertaining submissions from those organisations some of which, in my view, have unfairly been targeted by the Arts Council?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

The key issue is about what you knew about the failure by Lee Jasper to declare outside business interests with key players in this whole scheme, and when you knew it. The key is when did you know that that was the position?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

Ken, can you help me with this? John Ross told us that when he discovered that Mr Jasper had not declared certain interests he notified you of that fact. Did you make sure a formal report of that was made to the Authority's Monitoring Officer?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

Can I suggest that if this person is to be genuinely independent and seen to be independent you involve the Assembly in the decision of who that person is. Certainly at the outset of this whole affair, back in December, we from the Liberal Democrat side, called for all these allegations to be put in truly independent hands for an investigation. You are probably regretting you did not take up that suggestion three or four months ago which would have avoided all the brouhaha in the meantime. So will you take up that suggestion; that it is a joint appointment?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

Mr Mayor, I do not regard it as fun; exposing misuse of public money in London which leads to police arrests and may well lead to further police arrests which are focused in and around your advisers. I do not regard that as fun. I regard that as a degradation of the office of Mayor and almost a malignancy in the heart of politics in London. It destroys all of us.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

So you do not know?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

You are the Mayor. You are responsible for your staff.

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

It is very good news about the money going to culture and arts over the next 18 months. I think one of the things with this cultural aspect of the run up to the Olympics, is that all Londoners should be able to share in that programme. Will the money be used for set projects or will you be looking for those that are delivering any projects to engage with London's schools, community groups and the voluntary sector?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 12 March 2008

So having sorted this out it will be easier to talk about extensions to the tram. Can you clarify whether your decision is essentially ideological or essentially pragmatic on this?