• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

do not think there is a crisis. There are some PCTs that are in problems and I agree with you it is a question of management. I wanted to ask on a wider issue. Elizabeth [Howlett] asked about your high profile position and what you can do with that. I know the new Strategic Health Authority is developing a health strategy for London. In the North and North West we are looking at three of our hospitals being reconfigured at the moment. It is my view that they should be taken off the table until we have this strategy for...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

I was the Chair of a hospital board . You can.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

Mr Mayor, hypothetically, if you are not re-elected and another Mayor is elected in your place, he could change that whole scenario could he not?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

We are not giving you any extra money for the Olympics! We will vote your budget down if you put the Olympics up.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

Why was nothing done about the VAT issue as long ago as last March, or even in February?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

How much time and effort, extended process, was there in putting together the budget in the first place?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

When did you become aware of the VAT issue?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

When Jack Straw said that it would be for the Government to decide, the real point he was making is you can say until you are blue in the face that, as far as you are concerned, there will be no extra cost to Londoners, but you do not have any power in this; it will be the Government who decides who pays what and, if there are bills left to pay at the end of it, it will decide how those bills are divvied up. His point, Mr Livingstone is, effectively, you have no power over this.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

That was our idea originally.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 13 December 2006

Thank you very much, Mr Mayor. I support your view that the London council tax payer should not pay a penny more, but it appears there is a problem in terms of dealing with the Government. Could you enlighten us as to what the budget is for the Olympics at the moment?