• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Thank you very much. I am going to ask this question about hidden cost and also a capacity issue for the whole of London, not just east London. I wonder whether, in fact, you have been in discussion with London NHS as to capacity, and how it could bear an influx of a huge number of people. There will be people who will be ill; there will be people who will have accidents. Now, London's hospitals carry a very, very high bed occupancy, with hardly any spare room. Are you discussing this problem with London NHS?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Could you answer the question about the 12 pence on the tickets?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Damian Hockney (AM): Elements of this argument, to me, I am sorry to say, appear to be completely weird. Mayor, you mentioned the point that Olympics have broken even or made a profit since Montreal, but the reality is the Greek finance minister only two weeks ago blamed the Greek deficit, in part, upon the losses made at the Olympic Games. Then Mike (Lee), you made a point just 60 seconds later that the IOC does not want a re-run of Athens. The point about this is it is to do with money. It is to do with the fact...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Yes. Who pays for it?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Is that based on pre-9/11 status, or how does it work?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Well, let us talk about Olympic grandstands, Mr Chairman.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Thank you, Mr Mayor. I recognise where you are coming from, but this Government does not actually have a very good track record on delivering things. Can I make it clear that I do support the Olympic Games for London, but I need to be able to argue it for my people in west London. My real question is on the security aspects of it and what assessment has been made of the security risk for London for 2012. Also, how are those security aspects going to be paid for, so that there is an upfront and clear funding for...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

World class contractors have gone bust. Londoners will expect there to be bonds equivalent to the total bill that we are going to be expected to pay. I would, however, like to ask you some questions about this total bill. Today you have told us that you expect Band D London ratepayers to pay for 10 years at £20 a head, plus another two years at a further £20 per head. What makes you think that is going to be the end of the bill, given, as Angie Bray has already said, that we as Londoners are going to have...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

I was simply going to ask you about your track record of delivering on time and on budget. You make great play - and, indeed, you have already made great play - over the wonderful contractors that you are going to get in, who are going to deliver on time and on budget. I would like to learn from you what guarantees there are going to be from these contractors. Are you absolutely certain that they are not going to be contractors who perhaps will go belly up, so that we will have to pick up the tab? I wonder...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Thank you. Can I just briefly say, on behalf of my group - and I would have liked to have said this to Lord Coe, himself - that we were extremely excited and thrilled at the success of our team in Athens, and we love to see all those medals coming back here. We very much hope to see a repeat of that success here in London in 2012. In order to get us there, however, I do believe that we have still to face some slightly more mundane issues, and today I would like to take the opportunity to...