• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Was it true?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Back in the heady days of 2000, when people were making promises and had not yet assumed responsibility for this organisation, one old socialist was complaining about the fact that the bus fare was £1. He stated, 'A flat-rate 70p Bus fare throughout London could produce an 18% increase in bus use with commensurate reduction in the use of cars. This exactly the kind of radical policy innovation that will be expected from London's first Labour Mayor.' Can you tell me who that was? I will give you a clue: it was not Bob Crow.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

welcome the interest of the Tories in foreign affairs, but I will resist the temptation to comment on that, and bring it back to the issue in front of us. Mayor, it is certainly the case that you are on top of finances and you have taken measures to make sure that lowest income families are not hit, but isn't the litmus test what impact the fair increases have had on bus and Tube ridership, and I wondered whether you could inform us what impact you think has been had over the last two years and what you anticipate to...

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

No, I am going on to that, if you do not mind. The issue that he (Mr Gillam) has highlighted to me just last night in a four page letter is, you talked about the £2.1 billion and of course the revenue stream associated with that for the payback, but does that cover the necessary work that is needed in terms of extending the platforms? We would be unhappy if we're just going to stay with the three line track that exists; We would still be pushing for the four line alignment. Can we be assured that this package will...

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

If you look at some of the small pieces of media coverage of the price rises in our tourist markets in the United States and in other places, you will see they have been given very small mentions, but they have all been massive price hikes for fares. I have noticed also there has been quite a bit of general feeling or comment that, 'well it is not a bad idea to charge tourist or visitors more that commuters, because, because'' I just wonder if you would refute that suggestion, or argument because surely it is exactly the argument that...

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

I think that is really important, thank you for that.

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

I think that Stalin ran at about 99% in his country.

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

Well, I am interested in the return to the Dave Spart foreign policy of the old GLC that you have finally broken through to. Whatever happened to the Dave Spart fares policy? Are you the same Ken Livingstone that introduced `fare's fair'. Are you still the same Ken Livingstone that promised the 70p flat fare? Are you still the same Ken Livingstone who before the Mayoral elections said that there was no need for bus fares to increase above the level of inflation? Are you the same person, or have you changed?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 13 September 2006

I do not want to press the point, but I just wonder what any sensible observer would make of a situation where an alleged progressive Mayor increases cash fares ' which tend to bear most heavily upon the poorest ' by 33.1%, then says that is all alright, because he has negotiated a deal with his hard left Socialist mate from the other side of the Atlantic who is going to bring us in cheap oil to subsidise these poor souls another way?

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

If it is being sold cheap, there are fewer benefits and the point is he is not maximising their own assets. However, let me ask you finally about the other part of the deal, which I understand is that we are going to be given the pleasure of lots of posters of President Chávez all over London. Quite what that is going to do for votes back at home I do not know, but is that one of the reasons that your advertising has suddenly perked up, because President Chávez is now proposing to take over so many of your...