• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

After showing so much determination on this as an absolutely essential part of reducing traffic in the area, most people will conclude that you have simply just wimped out of the argument in the face of political opposition.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Mr Mayor, we will clearly be becoming parochial over Crossrail now that the broad policy has been determined and the project is being funded. Can you assure us, as I believe you stated earlier, that it will be built as a whole as against in sections?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

This levy of 3% on the business rate, is it going to be limited to the time it takes to construct Crossrail?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

You have just been boasting about your skills in getting money from the Government. Surely showing the determination that you have previously shown you should be putting the case for funding for the West London Tram and a case for funding the Cross River Tram; a northern part as well as the southern part. Most people, I think, would conclude that you are wimping out in the face of political battles with the Conservatives.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Clearly there is an overwhelming majority of both the public and Assembly Members in favour of Crossrail and I would count myself amongst those. The suspicion might be about the timing of the announcement. Looking at some of the more parochial issues that we might be concerned about, one of the concerns would be that other projects will be reduced or not happen, and you have described some of those. On my parochial list are the upgrade to the Metropolitan Line, the signalling for that line, and the upgrade to the Hammersmith and City Lines. Are they still secure, or...

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

You talked earlier about the impact on other projects. What about the impact of this extra money that is being taken on the Cross River Tram? That is already now not going to be a cross-river tram; it is a south of London tram. We hope it will be a cross-river tram. Is that not going to be funded in 2010?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

My original question was about whether this project is going to be delivered on time. This is a major project tunnelling under London. There are a lot of situations in the past where we have had cost over-runs because when you dig down you find it is not the same rock as you expected and so on, as you well know. This is the biggest engineering project in Europe. What steps are you putting in place to ensure that we come in on time and on budget?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Will you look again at the issue of the carriage upgrades on the Metropolitan Line because that is a central issue that many constituents are raising now?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

I have always been in support of Crossrail and I am also in support of Crossrail 2. I think one of the first questions I asked you in 2000 related to Crossrail. I am delighted to hear that you consider that Crossrail 2 is still on the table.

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 17 October 2007

Is the West London Tram completely dead and buried now then?