• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

I still think they are valid questions that I have asked. The other concern obviously is, given your announcement this morning about the additional works that you want to do on the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines, are you obliged to go to Metronet for these additional works and, if you are, what are your concerns?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

Which is why you need to damage the rest of their business - if that is, indeed, your strategy. I do not see what your strategy is.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

I can well understand why you are not able to give a one word answer to Darren's [Johnson] question, but would you agree that Metronet has bitten off more than they can chew with two PPP contracts, and that the structure of the company is such that it is almost like a construction firm cartel where they get first option on these works and it does not really give an incentive for them to keep their costs down?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

What I am trying to get at is that you talked about issuing these CAN notices which are all part of the PPP process. What you have not made clear is at what point do you go down the road of calling in the lawyers to untangle some of the contracts to release Metronet from some of their misery to be honest? You are saying that could take two years. You have not said whether you are prepared to start that process.

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

Did you talk about going back to the Government?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

I, like you, welcome the renewal and maintenance work that has been done on the Victoria line, and certainly Kings Cross Station is absolutely fit for purpose. What about the Central line? What pressures can you put to ensure that we get a constant quality service on this line? Nothing beats the Northern line, but much more needs to be done.

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

You were quoted in The Guardian last Thursday as saying something about going back to the Government and saying that Metronet cannot deliver what the PPP promised. What did you mean by that?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

The Chair is anxious because we have spent over 20 minutes/half an hour on this and I am not sure that we are any the wiser as to how we are going to get action on Metronet. Your strategy seems to be that you are left to beat up the parent companies. My question is, since you have said legally you cannot do anything, and financially you cannot do anything, so the parent companies' shareholders do not mind, the only two of the parent companies that have consumer brands that could have their bottom line damaged are EDF Energy and...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

As you say, the PPP Arbiter's report was absolutely scathing. How bad would things need to get before you sought to withdraw from the contract?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 06 December 2006

So what are you going to do to make sure that Metronet does get its act together, and have you issued them with any final warnings that you would take steps to try and end this contract if things carry on as they are?