• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

It is because they do not want you to take them to the cleaners like you did to Metronet.

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Over the coming decade?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

That was a negotiating position. The Arbiter's job is to look at all of the details and he found that significant amounts of Metronet work were done efficiently and because London Underground mismanaged these contracts and allowed more work to be done, the costs, in his opinion, were between £370 million and £1 billion. How are you going to stop that happening in the future, given London Underground's poor track record?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Are you saying that the Arbiter is lying when he is saying that there are lessons for London Underground to learn? Are you?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

You are not listening to my point about London Underground being culpable for at least £370 million.

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Is that not convenient for you, that the Arbiter now cannot report on this?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

This is a very important situation because we are talking about millions and millions of pounds here and we all know that Metronet failed in quite a lot of their work, which has increased the bill that we all have to pay. The Arbiter has already reported in September that London Underground was at fault as well for proceeding with work far and away above what was originally expected and the cost, which was down to London Underground, was somewhere between £370 million and £1 billion. My concern is that in the future we are just going to rack up...

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

It will all be hidden away by then. No one will know. You will not be here and nor will I.

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

Well that was running up to £2 billion overspent. That is not saying anything.

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 12 December 2007

We certainly welcome the free travel over New Year's Eve, but last year you did actually promise our Chair, Sally Hamwee, that you would look into running the bus service on Christmas Day, because quite a lot of people still work on Christmas Day for essential services, at the level of night bus provision, both on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Why is your answer this year, 'bah humbug'?