• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

How much? Very small? What does very small mean? Are you saying less than £1 million, between £1 million and £5 million, up to the value of the money we are getting? How much?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

I think it would be quite helpful if you could say the criteria that he used for the trips that are accepted and those that are rejected, in terms of the planning side. Obviously at the moment we have understood from your answer to Mr Biggs' questions that you do not accept all the invitations, and presumably you are not proactive, but what are the criteria you use to decide?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

You could not have given those assurances on the phone?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

So you have worked this out then. Why can't we have the figures? I just feel we need to know how much these services will cost and what they are. We are getting US$16 million.250,000 people, on the basis of the Mayor's statement this morning, will get travel concessions worth £280. Of course not all are going to take them up, but even if 80% take them up, that will take up the whole of that US$32 million.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

So they are always accepted?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

Right. Are there instances of officers then seeking foreign trips which have been declined by yourself or the Mayor or through the machinery?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

Can I return to planning and approval and ask Simon Fletcher what monitoring is done as part of the planning and approval process as to the volume of overseas travel?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

It is just that you are making comments to us like, `It is good to go to New York because tourists spend a huge amount of money in London'. The implication is if the Mayor did not go to New York the tourists would not come to London. What actual value is that adding?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

What is behind it is I do not believe there is actually any monitoring and tracking.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

One of the considerations might be that we have had very clear ones to Cuba, Venezuela etc, which do not strike us as being those areas which would be immediately promoting London as such an important international city. Clearly, that is a priority. Why?