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

What comment would you make on the reported fact that both BAA and British Airways actually helped the Government in the construction of its consultation papers?

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

Do you think that the reason why they have made this announcement that they were wresting it from the hands of the London Mayor was precisely because you have come out so strongly against it?

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

I have a question, a very local question - because City Airport featured in Peter Hulme Cross's question - which is that in the area of City Airport there are growing numbers of people who are unhappy with aircraft noise and there is a particular issue about the different regulatory regime that applies to private jets. There are growing numbers of corporate air travellers from City Airport and they appear to be able to take off at full throttle, at maximum noise without any comeback within the regulatory regime, and that is causing far more nuisance than the scheduled flights...

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

Are you concerned that you may have to fight a little bit to be able to play a role in how the plans go forward for Heathrow, because, as I understand it, it was announced by the Government that this would be taken out of the hands of the London Mayor and the GLA on the basis that this was a national strategic decision that had to be taken, rather than a regional strategic decision? Does that mean you are going to have to fight rather hard to be able to get in there to play a role on behalf...

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

Mr Mayor, you are right. You did not start off from the position which you now hold. Indeed, four years ago you would not come down to the villages and attend a public meeting to discuss the expansion of Heathrow. You did go down there but you slunk in a bit like a thief in the night - and five minutes later you slunk out again. Do you think that the consultation which is being conducted at the moment by the Government is transparent, open and honest?

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

The key issue here is, have we got the people now, from the local areas, all trained and ready to do those jobs or are we going to wait until construction starts and, therefore, people are saying, 'Where is my job? I was promised a job and there is nothing there', but they can do this little apprenticeship and hope to get a job in the long term?

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

I am just a little bit concerned, because when you speak to people locally on the construction site and just generally, certainly in the two boroughs that I represent, there is a feeling that a lot of the workers there are not local, indeed are not even from England. There is just this growing twittering about workers from the rest of Europe. How are we going to get the sort of information that you have just shared with us out into the public domain, because it is a matter of concern?

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

One of the concerns that would be expressed, of course, is that the employers, when they move into both the Olympics area and Stratford doing that development, want a pool of skilled labour ready and able to do the jobs. Can you report on the numbers that are now in training, ready to do the jobs when the development starts in earnest?

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

We will keep monitoring?

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

Yes, because I hope you do agree with me and certainly others that the promise about the legacy in terms of jobs and skills has to be realised within London, and especially within the five boroughs, and so we have to keep on top of the monitoring.