• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

We all appreciate that there are huge question marks over the performance of Capita. What about the pressure on the finances? Are you happy, for instance, that, I think, the budget now says something like £25 million to be spent on further preparatory work in the western area in the forthcoming budget year? Is that money, in your view, that is well spent on this particular priority?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Where is that money going to? Because you are not, presumably, budgeting to have fine income come in. Where is that resource going to be deployed?

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

I noted the near £100 million projected underspend on the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts and the PPP contracts, but, ever attempting to be fair, was not going to hold you responsible for the whole of that. Just one supplementary on that point before I return to the Mayor. The fines that are being levied - I think the note I have here is £32.2 million fines due to TfL from Metronet and Tube Lines - that is presumably not budgeted for. You do not budget for fines, so how does that interact in terms of the fines for the...

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Could we perhaps have some of this £140 million underspend spent immediately at Camden Town, where we need, surely Mr Kiley, an injection of resources to get the situation on the Northern Line resolved. We still have nowhere near a normal service. We still have the Northern Line split into two, as you are aware. Your officers facilitated a very useful meeting for myself and the Shadow Secretary of State last Thursday. Surely, just a bit more management effort and a bit more round-the-clock working could get the Northern Line restored to a normal service. It is causing major inconvenience...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Why are you not taking that money and using it on some quick wins in this financial year?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

Do you mind if I go back to this conversation you had about your freedom to get the work done? What you are saying is that the Infracos are contracted to do this work and cannot do it; you have got money left over, but the contract is such that you are not allowed to outsource this work, which is badly needed, because of the contract. Who " government I presume " would you have to go to to ask for variance to the contract? Can you tell me just how many penalties you are imposing on these Infracos? I...

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

That is the rumour, that this is splitting the Northern Line by stealth.

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 January 2004

That would be helpful. Can I then just return to the Mayor in my final question? When confronted with the problems on the Tube, your typical response is, `oh well, my hands are tied; I have only just taken it over; it is nowt to do with me, guv'. But the fact is that in this financial year, there is £140 million of resources that could have been deployed on improving the services. Just to give an indication, that, although I appreciate you cannot spend it in a year, is equivalent to 50km of track being completely refurbished and six...