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

Why did you not personally intervene at that stage?

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

Well that was the press release, but the news is that this was the most damaging strike on the Underground that London has suffered for ten years. What concessions did you make to the RMT to get them back?

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

Well I suppose as Chairman for Transport for London they work for you, you see? There was another threat that Bob Crow made when he came back to work; he said, 'If Transport for London keep being disrespectful to me I will give them another strike next week.' That does not seem to me like an adequate reason for disrupting the whole of the transport system in London again. Again, is that acceptable to you?

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

How about perhaps more constructive legislation to require a majority of the total membership of that branch of the union to vote for strike action, rather than just a number of people who happen to turn out on the day? We all know that the turnout for these strike ballots is historically low and to do something like that would encourage democracy within the union and free it up from the sort of protection racket that you just described.

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

My colleague points out that there are plenty of coaches that you could hire and there are no doubt buses outside London that you could have brought in for the two days. Have you done anything at all to mitigate the effects of the strike? Is there anything that Londoners can look forward to being done to make travel easier for them seeing as we can look forward to this happening to us every time Bob Crow feels insulted or can't understand a document that Transport for London puts in front of him?

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

Yes, but my point being that now is the time to do it before the next Mayoral election, which may see you return or not. The point is that when people have got a strike that was so damaging fresh in their minds, now is surely the time for you to be making the case to protect important events like the Olympics by taking action to deal with the possible fallout now.

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

Given the problems with RMT, who you say are way out of line, what wise counsel have you personally given to Bob Crow on this matter?

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

You did point out during the dispute that Bob Crow was making a very good case for legislation to limit the right of the union to go on strike and to limit their powers. Will you now join in with making that case to Government as well because it would be much more effective coming from you than from Bob I suspect?

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

I think you will find that Boris Johnson, who you have now just mentioned for the sixth time in fact, said that he did not support your scheme, but he was prepared to discuss what might be done to tackle congestion in other ways. The point I am getting at is that the Congestion Charge is not delivering what it says on the tin any longer. The number of chargeable cars, according to TfL's latest report, is up for the first time since the Congestion Charge was introduced, congestion levels are up again by 15% and, as we have discussed...

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

Before we get on to the detail you might like to know one of Brian Paddick's little known campaign pledges is free fresh air to every Liberal Democrat voter! I look forward to you matching that in the months to come.