• 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.

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

I would like to think that people will walk through the scanners, but what happens if they do not, because it is supposed to be a voluntary scheme? What are officers being instructed to do?

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

You need to put yourself in the shoes of people who feel they are being picked on, do you not? The evidence from stop and search is that black people are 6.4 times more likely to be stopped and Asian people twice as likely as white people to be stopped. Are we going to see a similar pattern on these `stop and scan' facilities at Tubes?

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

Will you investigate why they have not been able to introduce even an agreed plan for ID cards?

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

Weeks away. Thank you. Turning to the Tube, since yesterday at least two Tube stations police have been stopping people, allegedly at random to submit them to examination by body scanners. In view of the evidence of racial discrimination on a stop and search, what safeguards will you put in to avoid any possibilities of exacerbation of racial tension?