• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

Turning to the environmental aspects, you will be aware that London's sewerage system cannot cope with regular usage plus storms. Just a couple of weeks ago, we had a million cubic metres of raw sewerage pumped into the Thames. In Athens, I think there were 1.6 million extra tourists. Part of the case for the Olympics is to showcase London. Now, I am sure you will agree, it is not exactly good for London to have raw sewerage floating down the centre of London and past the Lower Lea Valley during the Games. When I asked you last year about...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

All right, so we may not get the review at all, despite the fact we are promised it.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

Mr Mayor, I was not an enthusiastic supporter of the Olympics ' nothing to do with the fact that I am built like a butcher's dog, rather than a gypsy's lurcher ' but more because I was worried about the cost overrun and the cost implications to all of London, although the constituency I represent is further away from the Games than Essex is. It is also the security aspects which exercise my mind as much as anything else. I note that the budget for your Olympics is some £250 million, whereas Athens spent £800 million, which is an immediate...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

[Peter Hulme Cross (AM):] May I add my congratulations to all the others. It was a brilliantly executed bid, and particularly I thought taking the 30 children to Singapore was an excellent idea. That was really wonderful. [Brian Coleman (Deputy Chair):] Does Damian (Hockney (AM)) agree with you? [Darren Johnson (AM):] Damian (Hockney) is commiserating in Paris. [Peter Hulme Cross (AM):] No, Barbados, actually. I want to come back to these businesses in Marshgate Lane. As an example of what is happening ' I will not mention the business by name. [The Mayor:] I can guess which one. [Peter Hulme...

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

Could you outline the practical consequences of the Olympic decision in terms of sport and community development and, at the same time, say a little bit about how boroughs which are outside central London and the rest of the country can benefit and get the opportunities into their parts of the country?

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

Moving on to funding, as soon as the euphoria has died down, there will be all sorts of scare stories about how it is going to go massively over budget, etc. It is our job here to make sure, through our scrutiny process, that we keep control of that. Could you outline how you are going to communicate clearly to Londoners exactly what the funding package is, because they have been given an awful lot of information that is very contradictory?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 20 July 2005

Mayor, I have three parts to my question. I will just give the three bits together. The journey from the first Romney House meetings to the Singapore shout of `yes' for London has been very challenging. Much respect for your bravery, and well done to you, Seb (Coe), and the team for bringing home the prize. Clearly, I come in behind Dee (Doocey) here, recognising that now the very, very hard work starts, as well as, I am sure, the accompanying whinging. Maybe we should have less whinging and more support is what I say. Would you agree that every...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

Thank you for all the compliments. Can we just get back to the subject, because I am aware of time running, too. Let me just put it to you one more time: we have names and addresses that demonstrate that 40% of the people that we have written to are not aware that they have received any opportunity to take part in the consultation at their addresses. Are you prepared to concede that if I can supply you that evidence, that 40,000 ' or not ' may well be a very small percentage of the total number that you have...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

No, that is incorrect. I am afraid to say, the figures have been updated. We have now had a 10% response rate, or thereabouts, and 40%- I am not dragging these figures out of the air. We can provide you with the names and addresses, because unlike yours, all ours are properly sent to real people at real addresses, so we can actually provide you with all those people. I am not making this up. Would it be too cynical to suggest that you have not bothered to learn any lessons, because in the end, it does not really matter...

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

Could we just look at the creation of some further buffer zones around the proposed Congestion Charging area. Will you consider further buffer zones?