• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

Fine words, and I do not doubt that every one of them is sincere. But I would like to draw your attention to two big deficits. The reason we framed the question in this way is because we wanted to make it clear to you that it is not only the Green group here that is complaining about the environmental sustainability of the Games. Let me just quote you, `The Olympic bid promise, at Games time, 20% of the Olympic Park electricity requirements will be met by new local energy sources'. Now that is not in fact what was then...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

I welcome your acknowledgment that the ODA's Sustainability Strategy does fall short of a position that is not ideal but actually achievable. That is why it is so crucial that the new Sustainability Commission that is going to be linked to the Olympics is given the tools to do a proper scrutiny. Will you go on record as supporting the fact that it needs to have sufficient resources, where there is currently a row going on, to do its job properly?

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

My real concern is on the health of the pigeon feeders in Trafalgar Square. Clearly, on health grounds alone, I think there is a very good case, given what has happened in Suffolk, to ban pigeon feeding completely. I was just wondering whether that was an argument that could be used to finish the debate which this clearly keeps running on.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

The purpose behind this question is fairly obvious, that it appears, so far, that on Terminal 5 there is a success story in terms of meeting the project completion on time and within the budget. Also the Channel Tunnel rail link, after a few teething problems, seems to have reached arrangements which are managing its completion on time, and I think, within budget. Clearly that is an objective for the Olympics and so the question must be how we can learn from those experiences. In terms of relationships between private contractors who will be tendering for the work, and the...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

The second part then of the question is about relations with the trade unions specifically. I might as well declare that I am a trade unionist and have good working relationships with a number of trade unions in London including Construction Workers and Amicus, of which I am a Member. And I know you do as well. But it is not about us being comradely and going through the motions of a relationship with people simply because we like them. Would you agree with me that trade unions need to have a very pivotal role in negotiating these agreements because...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

One of the things public authorities can do is to look at their procurement. We here at the GLA have the Green Procurement Code, which actually, I am informed, all 33 London councils have signed up to, but of all the possible NHS bodies in London to have signed to the Green Procurement Code, only one has done, and that is Newham. So, what more can you do to encourage the NHS to take these issues seriously?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

I wonder if you would join me in commending this initiative from Guys and St Thomas' NHS Trust, with Kings College London. They have launched I think probably the first energy and environment awareness campaign in the NHS, and it is called Earthcare and Energy. What is significant I think, Mayor, about this is that it is not just aimed at saving energy and improving the sustainability of the Health Service Trust, but also aimed at their employees in their own homes. Do you think there is a job to be done in the NHS, which is one of the...

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

One of the key factors in health inequalities for the elderly is access to those preventative services. We see across London that local authority grants, especially for advice and information for older people, are being cut. I am wondering if, in developing the Health Inequality Strategy, that aspect about advice and information could be looked at as well? I am aware that Age Concern recently published a very good report called, `Bridging the Gap' which highlights the importance of the wellbeing of older people.

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

One of the issues as well in preventative services is that many of them are provided by the voluntary or not for profit sector. I am wondering whether the LDA could have a role in looking at some forms of social enterprise that could perhaps give advice and information, or looking at how these services could be better set up.

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

The funny thing is the London Health Commission has done quite a lot - and Jennette [Arnold] has done loads of work - on health inequality strategies. I wonder whether the question is posed that we should get rid of the London Health Commission and hand it all over to you and your worthy officers to work out another Health Inequality Strategy. This goes on and on and on like a cycle that never terminates and never comes out with any information that anybody could use. The problem here with this lack of grants for elderly people's preventative work has...