• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

That active support will be very welcome, because everybody ' including Home Office ministers ' praise the scheme, and yet the Home Office seems hell-bent on ending the funding, at considerable cost. Is this not actually a kind of microcosm example of the bizarre funding arrangements we have? A £6-£7 million a year scheme is bringing into the licensing authority £20-£30 million, is saving the Fire Brigade £4-£5 million, is saving the MPS considerable amounts ' unquantified, but it is estimated up to half of untaxed vehicles are involved in criminal activities - so there is a huge benefit to...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

That will come as a relief to London council tax and fare payers. What is the mechanism that you have in place to prevent people from outside London applying and using these passes?

• Question by: Geoff Pope
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

Good morning. The bad news is that if you try the website first, and if you happen to live in Sutton and you go to the Post Office to apply for your free travel, you will almost certainly find that you will not be able to get your Oyster Card, if you are 14 or 15, because there is a shortage. Therefore, you will not be able to get a free pass with your Oyster Card. They say that they order the cards, but do not get near as many as they need, and we are told that they receive...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

Finally, Mr Mayor, we attempted to apply for a ticket using the form on the website yesterday, and we were told by TfL that it is not accepting the form on the website, and you should go to the Post Office to get a form. Is this not a hopeless shambles?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

You say that your work with the MPS on this is being finalised. When is a procedure going to be in place to deal with that situation?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

I think the same standards of proof may well be required, though, you will ultimately find. Does this mean that someone can commit vandalism on the Underground or the surface rail system and still be allowed to use the bus?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

You talk about inappropriate behaviour, as well as criminal acts. I know I get a lot of complaints from pensioners who use the buses about younger people who refuse to give up their seats for them, or who behave in otherwise anti-social ways. Is there a possibility that you could use this photo-ID scheme as a way of instilling better behaviour and courtesy on the bus network, as well as just dealing with criminal acts?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

What about people who we must know, through MPS records, have a criminal record for committing criminal damage, for mugging, or for committing crimes outside the transport network, and who have applied for a pass? Will they be allowed to have one, or will they be prevented from having one?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

Can this `gift from Londoners,- as you call it, be exploited, as you say, by people who are from outside London? Are young people outside London eligible, if they apply?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 September 2005

What if you are a young person from outside the country? Say you are from another European country; you are coming here with your parents as tourists to London. Would you be eligible to apply for this ticket?