• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

I think there was an enormous sigh of relief across the communities I represent that at last somebody was going to do something to support youth activity, particularly for young, vulnerable people. I think in principle it has been generally accepted it is a very good idea to use the councils in touch with their local community. Do you think there are any risks involved in channelling the funding through local councils as well?

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

What is your approach going to be with boroughs ' and I can think of several ' who have in the last year even cut their youth provision?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

There does seem to be progress therefore of a sort on making life easier for Londoners to pay the Charge which is certainly to be welcomed. I am very surprised that you say these two technologies are not quite compatible. You have automatic number plate recognition which is already working. You have your Oyster card which is already working. I would have thought that it would be a fairly simple matter as soon as the camera picks up the number plate to identify the driver and dock it from his Oyster card. That seems to me to be a very...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

You do not say that it is declining relatively to Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Paris? Everybody else does; all the experts do.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

Mayor, the problem here, as the unions and business say, is that at a crucial stage Heathrow will lose its role as a premier hub, particularly if there are threats from another major party to do something bizarre like wind it down and threaten all the jobs in the area.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

I will immediately acknowledge that Hillingdon Council does fund the No Third Runway Action Group with over £50,000 a year and we will continue to do so throughout the campaign to stop the expansion of Heathrow. It is nice for Damian to visit my constituency as he flies out to Barbados and other places. I trust he gathers up his air miles for the rest of his family! I am sure he is declaring an interest. Mr Mayor, can I thank you for visiting my constituency and the village of Sipson; so rare an event was it that I believe...

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

I think what Damian is trying to put out is a complete red herring which Lord Soley has similarly has been putting out that in some ways if you do not allow the expansion of Heathrow you lose jobs there. I did not hear that from the villagers, for example, on Monday when the Environment Committee went there and in the town halls that have been packed houses for all the discourse on this issue in west London, for obvious reasons. I find the villain of the piece is really BAA. For example, what expansion of Heathrow there has been...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

Indeed, can I say that I think it is a shame and a cynical exercise that BAA has chosen a spokesman in the form of the former MP for Ealing and Acton, a Labour MP, who is surprising a lot of his former constituents with the line he is taking, and dismaying them at the same time.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

Which is why we need the expansion as well. Has any money been paid by the GLA to anti-expansion groups over the years, to groups who oppose expansion at Heathrow?

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 20 February 2008

I am clearly confused myself when I go through immigration whether I am in a shopping mall or immigration when I am going in and out of the airport. It has also been suggested that this is a very important issue for the City but it appears to me they are probably more concerned about taxation policy and how that affects the high flyers than necessarily the journey to Heathrow and what slots they can get from there.