• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 03 December 2008

Richard Tracey (AM): Can I say that the indications to me from my constituents is that they are absolutely overjoyed by the Safer Transport Teams and the effectiveness that they are having, and well done to the Metropolitan Police Service for providing them. My question is, to what extent are the Safer Transport Teams able to work very closely with the British Transport Police and also to respond to the live CCTV (closed-circuit television) coverage of some of the buses, particularly? The other thing is can you explain to me how many of the teams are equipped with the small...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 03 December 2008

Some police officers within the service are definitely in danger of losing the roles that they do now. They are members of the Metropolitan Police Trafficking Unit whose funding has been stopped by the Home Office; some £2.3 million. We have a motion on the agenda later today asking for support for that unit and I believe it will get cross-party support. Will you, Mr Mayor, make sure the money is available in the budget to carry on the unit's good work? It is £2.3 million, which is not a great amount when you consider the overall budget of the...

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

Seb, it appears Jacques Rogge [IOC President] has changed his position on the Olympic Stadium. Does that put you in a difficult position?

• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

You have made it very clear that when the Games are on you are responsible for the security within venue, you said, so within, for example, the Park. Given that there have been huge numbers of break-ins over the years into train and Tube depots, how are you going to ensure that public transport does not pose a security threat, particularly when you have got lines bisecting the Park, going around the Park and, I think, possibly even under the Park?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

How confident are you in the competence of the Home Office to carry through all the security procedures that are going to be required with the many tens of thousands of volunteers that you are going to be using? I am referring particularly to Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks. Currently when police officers are being recruited, teachers are being recruited, social workers in Haringey are being recruited, it takes many months to go through all of this process and that is just normal everyday work. So, do you actually think the Home Office are up to it?

• Question by: Victoria Borwick
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

Just to follow up, although I have to say most of the questions on a particular point have been addressed; I think there were great concerns when we talked about this in our subcommittees about people who are mobility impaired as opposed to necessarily disabled. The idea of just having a buggy that people can order on demand or book on demand I do not think is satisfactory, and my question to you is to ask you to look again at the transportation of people, particularly late at night when the Games finish. We are not quite clear yet, as...

• Question by: Kit Malthouse
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

Just on the lanes, would you agree with me that the 'Zil lanes' are likely to be the biggest PR problem for the Games in London, particularly when they are on and in the preparation up to them? What lessons are you learning from John Prescott's [Former Deputy Prime Minister] ministerial lane on the M4 and the public relations disaster that was? Also what contingency arrangements will you make for getting around London if, as I expect - and I obviously I represent large parts of Central London - there is some kind of protest from irate commuters, drivers, delivery...

• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

Cultural diversity of London was seen as a great strength and virtue of our bid for London 2012, something which we understand clinched the success that we have had in getting the bid. What I would like to know is what progress has been made towards showcasing and promoting this unique strength that London offers and what is the current status of that?

• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

Cultural diversity of London was seen as a great strength and virtue of our bid for London 2012, something which we understand clinched the success that we have had in getting the bid. What I would like to know is what progress has been made towards showcasing and promoting this unique strength that London offers and what is the current status of that?

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 19 November 2008

Just following on from Navin's [Shah] comment, on the cultural side you mentioned in your opening remarks that 286 cultural events had taken place in the Cultural Olympiad, which is great. Have you got an indication of how many of those were run by the third sector and how many of them were run by ethnic minorities?