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

Thank you, Mr Mayor. The point is this 'balanced preamble' as you call it is not balanced. There are seven lines here, which lead the question in a particular way; why not just ask the question: 'Do you agree or disagree that people should be discouraged from using large SUVs in London?' By putting in a preamble which foreshadows the answer you want, it actually means that you are lacking confidence in just simply asking the question.

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

Yes they did; it is at the question's top.

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

That might be an interesting sort of visit, because with all the publicity that has been given to 4x4s and so on, I would be very surprised if people did not know the issues, but, further on in the poll, when you are talking about water, for instance, there is a similar sort of thing, whereby it leads to the answer that you want. There is another one here on world peace which puts the United States right at the top of the list, obviously leading to the answer that you want; now, this is not really fair polling.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

This is relevant Chair I assure you, honestly. Initially, you say that the balance of £230,000 would be met by sponsorship income and income from stalls. We tried even right up until the day before to find out where this is coming, and finally we learn, last week, that it is the LDA (London Development Agency) that is spending.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Mayor, if you do not want to run Carnival, why run an event like the Showcase? If you look at Angie's (Bray) question just now this links into it You said initially in the first authorisation, that it would cost the GLA (Greater London Authority) £68,000. We then move on ' a few weeks later ' the day before the Carnival and we are told that Bliss Events are going to be paid £150,000.

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

We have to go on, and it is an action I want from the Mayor really, and why you need to do this action is that clearly Damian has not got enough support staff in his office, so will you send him copies of the 2001 Report and the 2004 Report, that then reaffirmed some of the interim findings. This whole change is for the Carnival, so it can grow, so that it can be marketed, so that it can compete in the market against it. You need to have the full documentation. Will you send Damian (Hockney) the full...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Thank you Mayor. I always go to the Carnival and this year I went along with the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) and met many of the organisers again, and one of the things that struck me in my discussions with all of them was that there is indeed a growing move against any change, for the simple reason that there is a fear that we will end up with, effectively, two carnivals. This has happened in other places where carnivals have been moved forcibly by the State and what then happens is that you have a greater potential for public...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

The areas where you have these sort of starbursts, where you have these problems, are small in number and are becoming less. There are three, one in particular, but another two small areas where this is a potential problem, but the crowds, have lessened to such a degree over the last six or seven years that in actual fact, the need for a new route surely needs to be reassessed. Are you meeting with the other stakeholders and people involved with the Carnival in the next couple of weeks? I think there is a Reference Group meeting.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Yes.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Yes, and this is relevant because the Caribbean Showcase which has been launched by the Mayor as a rival event to the Carnival, is being told at first £250,000 will be paid by sponsors ' by which I mean private ' but finally it comes out as LDA, which is the GLA family