• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Or any other of their costs that might overrun?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

As Tessa Jowell has said, there will be no cap on what Londoners might have to pay. She said she refused to put a cap on. Can I ask you about the other little crisis ' which is your word, not mine ' that you started talking about late last week to do with the potentially necessary compulsory purchase of some land around the Stratford City development. I seem to recall that you said last week that it would be a crisis if we had not issued a CPO, which would otherwise leave ourselves open to the biggest ransom note...

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Okay, so are you willing to categorically state that the LDA's increased costs are not going to be funded by the London Council Taxpayers?

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

I certainly do not agree with that. The only bit I do agree with is that there have been decades of neglect. The Government is just not putting in anything like it ought to put in and the entire funding package is unbalanced and always has been from the beginning. It is not right that it should just be London taxpayers that are picking up the bill. However, can I move you on? Can I ask you if it is still your belief that the figures in the Budget are robust and indeed the contingency is adequate? I think you...

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Okay, so basically you are still happy and still feel the figures are robust even though just one figure that was published in the newspapers, and heavens knows what other figures are in the closet, has gone up by 100% - from £0.5 billion to £1 billion and you still think things are okay?

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

In that case, can I say ' and you know I share your enthusiasm for the Games. I think they are the greatest thing that could happen to London. However, I do think you are sending out definite mixed messages. Not everyone in London shared your enthusiasm and indeed, you worked very hard to persuade Londoners it was a good thing. However, you did it on the basis that it was going to cost a maximum of 38 pence a week. You kept going about the cost of a Walnut Whip, if I remember correctly, for a maximum of 12...

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

I hope following that, Mayor, you will be able to support the Assembly in the points it is making to Government about having the right to scrutinise the work of the ODA directly and not ask all the questions through you.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

That takes me to my final question which is that I believe that the Chair and Chief Executive of the ODA will be announced. I think the fact that is going to happen is in the public realm. Our job as an Assembly, alongside yourself is to hold those people to account and make sure they are responsible and have the skills to deliver these projects on time and on budget. It is rather inappropriate and premature and a fudging of its role for the Assembly to point at you as the responsible person. Politically you might be responsible but...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Would you share with me also an interest in developments at Heathrow Terminal Five? I visited that site last week and it is apparently an example of where a massive project to improve London's infrastructure will come in on time and on budget. Perhaps we can learn from that.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Correct, but it took Tessa Jowell to come clean on the fact that there is no cap for Londoners. You were wriggling around all over the place trying not to.