• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

I understand that TfL advertised in what is now called the Official Journal of the European Union, (OJEU), rather than European Community, (OJEC), expressing some interest in replacing parts of the contract. Is that simply a warning shot across Capita's bows?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

I was so entranced by your answer that I almost forgot the other part of my question about the submission we are making to this review on the powers of the SRA.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

It interests me that this should be seen as part of a number of decisions that we hope will be made in the interests of London. Mike Tuffrey sounded like `Eeyore" in being so grudging on this. This decision on its own is very helpful to us, but there are a couple of other things that should be considered. One would be the response to the submission we are making on the review of the SRA, and the second is the Transport Spending Review, and thirdly the review of Council Tax with the possibility that the business rates might start...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

There are traffic problems in east London, and given the development pressures there they could grow and grow. Is it fair that east Londoners will not get the benefits of what I agree is a wonderful scheme?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

So does that mean you are ruling that out specifically?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

Have you made representations to government about that because I would agree with you wholeheartedly and support those if you did?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

I think the good result you have had in central London perhaps represents the fact that you have concentrated your attention there very much, and this argument is often made bearing central London in mind. Taxi touting is a serious problem in busy, commercial centres outside the central zone of London, for instance Ilford and Romford, which are extremely busy town centres in the evenings and at the weekends. There is a particular problem at Gants Hill and Wanstead. Certainly when we carried out the last operation there, we found far more than illegal taxicabs; we found immigration fraud, benefit...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

That is good news. Less good news was that when you reported TOCU activity to us some months ago, you pointed out that Redbridge only received 1% of the TOCU activity in enforcing minicabs. Has that figure improved since then?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

Can I suggest that perhaps one of the reasons why you do not want to release your results before the election is because it might show up just how much hostility there is to the plan? In addition, you would be seen as a Mayor stubbornly insisting on proceeding with something which the vast majority of Londoners said they did not want. Perhaps I could ask you, since Mr Blair, your Labour leader, has now come out in favour of referendums, would you be prepared to consider a referendum in the area most directly affected on this proposal?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 28 April 2004

I have the toolkit here; it is absolutely huge and very expensively produced. There are some very interesting points that are worth picking up about how to consult. I understand that your consultation with 3.3 million Londoners has yielded about a 3% response rate, which is pathetic, because you did not follow the guidelines in your toolkit. I, on the other hand, did, and having consulted 4,000 Londoners using all the best tips that this toolkit provides, I actually achieved a 15% response to mine. 43% said they did not receive their consultation pack, and perhaps more crucially, 84% said...