• 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...

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

On John's [Biggs] point about extending it, another area where it could be extended, potentially, is, whilst we are hooked on oil, to secure energy supplies. Is that envisaged in the future, given that seems to be the dominant concern in foreign policy now? From the neo-Conservatives it would be quite useful! A theme, possibly, to develop. You have extended the hand of friendship to Caracas and international development, which is very welcomed. I just want to be sure that the cities that we have friendship agreements with; Delhi, Dakar, Dublin, Kingston and Johannesburg will get similar assistance in their...

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

Obviously I welcome further steps towards making public transport more affordable for many of my constituents on low incomes. My question is that while the Venezuelan angle of this is probably the most eye catching part of it, longer term - just as London blazed a trail with travel cards, with the Freedom Pass, with I think under 18 free travel on buses, which may well be something other authorities want to copy in the country - the value of this initiative may well be in the way in which it pioneers other ways of subsidising transport for people on...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

Buying cheap oil would suggest that you think the price of oil is too high. Is that true?

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

I wish to ask about the discounted travel that will come from this deal. On Monday I visited a local scheme for lone parents, run by Reed Partnership, and one of the advisers told me that one of the barriers for lone parents, especially to get back into work, is the cost of travel, especially as working tax credits often do not come for about three to four months, depending on the length of time that government takes. I was wondering, if there is some slack in this system, whether the scheme could look at those groups who are returning...

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

Has the Department for Work and Pensions specifically cleared this scheme and said that there is no threat to anybody losing their benefit as a result of getting this additional benefit?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 21 February 2007

Mr Mayor, 38% of the people of Venezuela live below the poverty line. Do you think they have got a good aspect of this deal, or have they really got the sticky end of the wicket, paying £15 million a year for Peter Hendy to go on visits?