• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 12 September 2007

You seemed to be suggesting at your press conference yesterday that you were being offered either Crossrail or a bail out on Metronet from the Government, at least that is the way that the journalists who saw your performance interpreted it, and Londoners are quite worried about that. Could you clarify that for us now?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 12 September 2007

Well it sounds to me, and it sounds to Londoners, as if we are going to have to do without some of the vital transport projects in the city, potentially Crossrail, because the money will be used to bail out Metronet, to pay Gordon Brown's bill instead of paying for developments that London needs. We need you to stand up for Londoners and to present the case to the Government, now will you undertake to do that and to be robust? Some support for the Labour group in this would be helpful as well!

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 12 September 2007

It should not constrain your approach. How much are you asking the Government for?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 12 September 2007

That is quite interesting to hear you are expecting to save money. I would have thought that Tim O'Toole would have mentioned that when he appeared before the Assembly's Transport Committee yesterday, but he did not. You said this morning you expect to save 20% on the contracts, but the only evidence you presented to back that up is something that Bob Kiley said to you once upon a time. Have you got anything more concrete that you could offer us?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 12 September 2007

Who do you blame for this situation, apart from the Liberal Democrat Group of course?

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

So are you saying that there is going to be no extra charge to Londoners for all these cost overruns and delays?

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

In fact Tim O'Toole [Managing Director, London Underground] yesterday told us that if TfL (Transport for London) does get the Metronet contracts, he will completely restructure them and look at different ways of providing the upgrade and maintenance services. You have said that you expect the routine maintenance to remain in-house, or to go in-house, but in your report to us you talk positively about the Docklands Light Railway's (DLR) performance. As you know, with the Docklands Light Railway, which has by far the best performance figures across the whole network, the maintenance and running of the whole service is...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 12 September 2007

You don't blame Gordon Brown [Prime Minister]) for foisting it on us?

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

The biggest problem in all this is the cost overruns and the estimates go up to £2 billion now, don't they? We heard yesterday that we are losing £17 million a week, or TfL is paying the administrators £17 million a week. Does this not give the lie to your claims that you would not be paying a penny more to the Metronet contracts?

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

Yes, that's fair but overall this has been a failure, hasn't it?