• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

Would you agree with me, then, that although people may have concerns about the PFI method of procurement, particularly the less cooperative of my MPs, Mr (George) Galloway, it would be a betrayal of the interests of east-enders to allow this scheme to be put on hold and not go ahead at this late stage? I think you have more or less said that.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

I have been working with the local council and with the cooperative one of my two local MPs. I was wondering what representations you might have made on this issue?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

I very much welcome this positive intervention. It is possible that something like 30,000 of the unregistered residents in Lambeth are black and ethnic minority people. I think like many poorer areas in London, Lambeth suffers from a very high population turnover ' I think it is one of the aspects of the deprivation, so I am sure that there are lessons for the rest of London. Can I ask you whether or not you will be dealing with this issue very urgently? Because, of course, it is a short period of time before the register closes and I think...

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

I have two questions. The first is on bird flu. We saw with the flu jabs last autumn that there was a shortage; there was a greater uptake than normal because the `worried well' and perhaps those who could shout the loudest were able to get those jabs. I just wondered if you have made any representations, or were planning to, to the NHS to ensure that if we do have a bird flu epidemic, or flu epidemic, and antivirals are necessary that all communities in all parts of London will be able to receive those drugs?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

Chair, I am very disturbed at the way this conversation is going in that the Mayor'

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

On the issue of voter registration, is there anything that you have thought of that you and your office can do here to encourage voter registration across London?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

I noticed that you referred to voter registration, and of course allude back to previous times when we crossed swords. However, the key issue then, and I think the key issue still remains, is that of the accuracy of the register, and the scandal that goes on of people still being registered long after they have moved or even died, and still being on the voters register long after that has happened. Of course, that is the key issue that happened in Brent. That is still going on, and if you reflect that `Oh, that is OK, there are people...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

I think it would be a very bad step for London, and I wonder whether you would agree with me, if you do have to intervene on what might be perceived to be a partisan basis. What we need to do is to get the boroughs to unite and support a common strategy for voter registration. The point about churn in London is a very important one, certainly in the area I represent; there is a massive change in people from year to year. In one borough, up to 16% of people change from one year to the next. We...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

Can I say that I think I agree with the thrust of John [Biggs, AM]'s questions. In our boroughs, is it not the fact that electoral registration is a highly professional activity and certainly I am sure the electoral registration officials in Lambeth will be dismayed to see what is a simplistic political attack on what is a Liberal Democrat/Tory led council because that decision will have been taken on advice. Are you aware, certainly from my own knowledge as a former Lambeth Councillor, that the borough has always had a very inclusive policy on electoral registration? Indeed it had...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 21 February 2006

I respect that that may need to happen, but I take it that there is what I call a dual-track approach to this, which is that on the one hand you are indicating that you might decide that intervention is necessary, but on the other hand, we need urgently to talk through the ALG to see whether we can hammer out an understanding with the boroughs. That is not, to use Toby Harris' phrase, `putting our tanks on their lawn', it is about giving people their civil rights as Londoners. I am sure the Assembly would unite with you in...