• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Another of your election promises was to cut crime in half, so what price that commitment if there are doubts about rolling out Safer Neighbourhoods?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

What about the capping regime? Do you not think the GLA will come into the capping regime with the Olympic tax plus this extra cost for Safer Neighbourhoods?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

I was interested to hear what you were saying that there is a limit as to how much more you can expect to put on the Council Tax. Is not the consequence of that really that if push comes to shove, you are telling us that the Olympics will have to come before Safer Neighbourhoods?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Okay, if we can move on then. Can you guarantee that this will be rolled out by March 2007 as you have committed?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Are you prepared to then allow the precept increase of 11.2% on the MPA to achieve that?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Can we just be clear on that? You are on record as saying that would be the minimum level but there may be a need for a larger sized Safer Neighbourhood team. Can you guarantee that is the minimum level?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Therefore your commitment that it would all be in place by March 2007, which you went on public record as saying would be achieved, is not worth the paper it is written on.

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

You have told us in your very first response to Bob Blackman (AM) that currently neighbourhood teams consist of the sergeant, the two constables and the three PCSOs. I was interested in the use of the word `currently'. Are you envisaging that the size of neighbourhood teams will be reduced and if you are suggesting that the size of neighbourhood teams will be reduced, will you say and indeed commit, that the total number of people who will be allocated to Safer Neighbourhoods per borough will remain the same, irrespective of how the Safer Neighbourhood teams themselves are constituted?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

The budget that we have seen ' the draft budget we have seen from the MPA - suggests there will be a 3.2% increase in Government grant but that still leaves, even after various efficiency savings, some £32 million gap. How is that to be bridged?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 16 November 2005

Therefore are you saying to us that it is either a choice that the Government provides the resources to achieve Safer Neighbourhoods or alternatively you will not increase the precept by 11.2% to pay for it?