• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

I find it extraordinary that this figure could be quoted. You went on record as saying that your trip to India and opening the offices in India would result in thousands of jobs coming to London.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

What I am saying, Mr Mayor, is do not set your face against expansion at this stage. There are loads of things to be discussed, but to simply come out against City Airport and against expansion of Heathrow is really boxing yourself into a corner which will be detrimental to this city in the long run. You have just, with gay abandon, opened offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi and Caracas. All the thousands of jobs that you expect to come to London from those places, those people are not going to walk, cycle or swim here, they are all...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

You are against the expansion of London City Airport and when Crossrail is up and running you have said that you would like those people who use City Airport to take Crossrail to Heathrow. Yet you are against the expansion of Heathrow, which is already at full capacity. There seems, therefore, to be a lack of logic in your position. There are still going to be people - business travellers mainly - who want to use City Airport; it is very successful. Your strategy seems to be one to stifle growth, which is necessary, as you have said yourself, for...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

The problem with that one, Mr Mayor, is that going to Paris or Brussels, you can fly there for £50, and if you take Eurostar it costs you over double that to go just one way.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

If I might say so, Mr Mayor, that is a typical 'New Labour' attitude: legislate and tax.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Do you accept that the theatres in the West End are a key part of London's economy and bring substantial numbers of people from all over the world into London?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

One of the key concerns is that a substantial number of the theatres are in a position whereby they are extremely run-down in nature. They are listed buildings, which is another key concern that raises the cost of improving them and clearly they have not been properly maintained by the owners or the people involved previously. Will you look at that as a specific area that could justify some public investment?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Just adding on to what Bob Blackman is saying, because he is missing a key aspect of this, can you assure me that if any theatre owner comes to you looking to put a case for market intervention, that you will refer them to me? What I could do is direct them to other theatres that have dealt with refurbishment, have a relationship going with their patrons and their users and have put a local, individual levy on their tickets of something like £1 and over a period of time have raised a sufficient amount of money to refurbish their...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

They will be pretty anti-climactic if Crossrail is late or any of these other things are late, will they not?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Are you satisfied with the arrangements for the consultation and overall strategy control of the Gateway?