• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

There have been a number of elements of the Metronet work which have been considered to be urgent and vital and which are continuing. Notwithstanding the administration, things like track replacement and so on obviously need to carry on. I put it to you that people in my constituency were inconvenienced by the closure of one end of the station, which they have been using for many years in many cases. We would consider that to be of reasonable urgency as well and would be bemused at your statement that there is no date yet known by which we can...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

You are happy then to go away and to look at whether this aspect of the works could be brought forward more quickly? I think people can live with cement on the walls and no tiles but the exit is an important issue.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

The second supplementary question then was whether there are other exceptions on the rail network which you are aware of? That was part of the question. Are there other station refurbishments which are being put on hold, as a result of which, people are being to a greater degree inconvenienced than we would have wanted?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

I think my constituents and a lot of Londoners would understand that but what has been perhaps lacking, as I travel through Aldgate East each day ' I do not actually use the eastern exit, by the way, for the record ' is the lack of information about when precisely this will be sorted out and we would welcome clarity on that.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

What is the timescale for your Supplementary Planning Guidance coming out?

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

In some ways you have already dealt with some of the points I was going to raise. I am glad to hear about the study on the short-haul flights and clearly rail via St Pancras is very attractive as an option. Hopefully there will be a day soon where we can go beyond just Paris and Brussels from there. Sarkozy's position in France is clearly indicative of where public opinion in Europe is now, and I think that is where we are going to have to head. I am concerned about how BAA seems to be rewarded for managing Heathrow...

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Just on another front, I did go to a public meeting last week in one of the villages affected in Hillingdon: Harlington. It is a crying shame that the residents have been painted in environmental terms. Many of them also have jobs at Heathrow; they clearly know the trade-off between jobs and the environment and their quality of life. I just hope that in economic studies that is reflected as well. I feel the debate has been couched in terms which are not helpful and that actually there are some trade-offs. I think you have touched on them: short-haul flights...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

If Mr Brown finally makes up his mind to have a general election, will you be urging the people locally to vote Conservative rather than Labour?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Final question; mixed mode, which is another threat that Heathrow poses to a lot of residents at both ends of the runway, of course, as we have discussed, could happen much sooner and is a considerable threat to quality of life for people. You mentioned to me in a written answer that you were going to write to the aviation minister about mixed mode. Have you done that and what response have you had?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Have you got power so that you could step in over mixed mode?