• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

It is quite interesting. There is a great consensus emerging between the distributors and the manufacturers in response to European Union legislation and I think there is one particular anomaly with the Lexus 4x4 hybrid, which appears to run roughshod across your whole strategy, and it seems as though it should not be exempt at all.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

I agree that cars that pollute more should be potentially charged more Congestion Charge. Conversely, I think we also need to offer incentives to those that switch to biofuels like bioethanol to pay less of a Congestion Charge. Is that something you are willing to consider?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

I am glad the Green Party are catching up with us on this side. After all, it was my predecessor some two years ago who proposed that there should be an additional charge in the central zone for 4x4s and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). This is really a development of that policy. Indeed, our party has produced a policy paper, as you may be aware, called `The Green Switch', which is proposing an annual road tax of £2,000 for any vehicle emitting more than 225 grams of CO2 per kilometre. Would the Mayor support that as a far better way...

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

Would you go as far as looking at the Alliance Against (Urban) 4x4s' proposals to actually exclude large SUV vehicles from key urban areas?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

Finally, could you just repeat what you said earlier about Jenny Jones was absolutely right and I wished I had listened to her years ago? Could you just repeat that?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

Are you aware that Alistair Darling's (Secretary of State for Trade and Industry) idea about how to bring in road user charging would actually make it easier for 4x4s because what they are doing is taking off the fuel tax and putting it on mileage? Actually, whether you are running a 4x4 or a Mini, you would be worse off in a Mini. Are you going to protest to the Government that they rethink their ideas?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

That is alright for those people lucky enough to live near the Congestion Charging Zone. Those of us who do not live within it, particularly outer boroughs, where car use is still a problem, therefore parking charges surely would be a way forward as a bigger, wider deterrent.

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

All that is really good news, and I look forward to seeing that report. This idea of polluters paying is clearly a well established one now. Do you think that local authorities can actually use it as a basis for increased parking charges, as well, on more polluting vehicles?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

We are agreed that the Secretary of State was wrong?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 21 June 2006

I would settle for retrograde'