• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

You are not going to look at it then?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

I think we would all agree that enhancements to security on the transport bit, the Tubes, the buses or the trains, is welcome and the statistics you quote about passenger satisfaction on buses are worthwhile. I wonder perhaps if you might like to consider this and take it back to TfL: notwithstanding those apparent figures, which I assume are from their passenger satisfaction surveys or something of that kind, my postbag certainly remains very substantial with concerns expressed by residents in both the two boroughs that I have, of what is not serious crime, but unpleasant, intimidating bad behaviour, rowdyism...

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

This is about security and a system that is proposed by management to improve the security of London's Tube system; you do not know where it has reached? I am surprised.

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

I am surprised at that answer with your real intricate interest in London that you have no interest as to where these officers will be deployed, because we know there are particular hotspots, particularly at some of our interchange stations, such as East Croydon and Clapham Junction. Are you not going to give some directions?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

I am grateful for that, and this is an area where, as you know, there is not controversy between us because we all support the work of the TOCU. Are there plans to expand the numbers and operation of TOCU so that perhaps they might be able to police more routes, particularly in outer London?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

I was thinking specifically of my experience at Canary Wharf, where in the light of the bombing there is much greater security. We referred earlier to new retail developments such as Park Royal and White City, and the question is whether you should be using your planning powers, for example, to look at security standards within new developments.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

I am getting increased reports about anti-social behaviour on buses linked to people using your under-16 travelcards. I just wonder if the process you have for withdrawing those cards is sufficiently robust.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

I think that has probably covered the Tube situation to a fair amount of detail, but as public transport includes buses, could you just tell us if you are satisfied with the safety and security for the passengers using London Buses?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

Still on the Tube and security, on 18 April the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) did actually threaten to ballot members on the proposed introduction of special identity (ID) cards, the aim of which was to protect against unauthorised entry into the Underground system, which is surely a higher priority. Why have London Underground failed to convince the staff of the benefits of this system?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 17 April 2006

Have you looked at the scheme that has been installed in the Washington Metro where special detectors of chemicals are permanently installed and they can detect particles of chemicals which might be used in a chemical or biological attack? The advantage of that surely is that it does not discriminate but actually detects any such substance, not just through a random system.