• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

If it were necessary to legislate for this, our own Government could do it. Why should the EU be doing legislation that our own Government could do? Why should people in a foreign land, whom we do not elect, tell us how to regulate our work?

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

I am tempted to observe that it might be that support might have been higher in the UK, perhaps, if the Government had not withheld a 12% windfall on the Olympics Lottery and instead had `passported- that through, which would have meant we would not have needed to put up the council tax. That might have improved public approval. On a separate point, I was concerned to see a report in the Sunday Telegraph business section about strains in the consortium which is to deliver the Olympic Village as part of the Stratford City development. Have you, either directly or...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

I think the thing basically that concerns me on this issue is, coming back to the original point, when we do ask questions, to have to go to FoI from within to get response. Does that mean on everything that we have to ask, we have to just stamp `FoI- on the top of it?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

I have to take your point on that, but the one thing that concerns us is that, in order to do a proper scrutiny job on this, we then have to go to FoI (Freedom of Information) and are then told, ultimately, `You will have it within the 20 days' from the final time that we have asked. That does not really help us do our job. You mentioned just now the business of opinion pollsters, reputable, and code of conduct. One of the things that concerned us was that part of the code is, of course, that pollsters must...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

Mayor, can I use this opportunity to ask you to reaffirm your commitment to ensuring that black and ethnic minority Londoners benefit from both the Games and the legacy of the 2012 Olympics in London. Secondly, what role will London's young people play in the run up to the decision and immediately afterwards?

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

Of course, one of the complicating factors is that Stanhope have to give permission for any other member of the consortium to exit. Have you been in discussions with the members of the consortium to make sure that this does not cause any problems in the run up to what we hope is a successful bid and its delivery?

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

I just want to return to some answers that you gave me last time on the issue around the Olympics in east London. You very categorically reassured me about the fact that almost all the 320-odd businesses in the Lower Lea Valley had been sorted, to everybody's satisfaction, with the LDA. Obviously, if we win the bid, which I hope we will, this is going to be an issue which is going to have to be resolved ' fairly speedily, too, to meet the timetable of regenerating the area and building the Olympic Village, etc., there. Apart from John Benson...

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

Do you really believe that house builders will be able ' and, indeed, willing ' to construct homes for £60,000? Do you think it is a viable option?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

Housing does have a number of counter-cyclical attributes to it, so in particular, at a time when the private sector might be reducing the amount of homes it is building, you might well simultaneously find that there is an increasing number of people in housing need on waiting lists, whose incomes, because of unemployment or whatever, make it less easy for them to access that housing. It is part of the same pipeline. At times like that, traditionally, governments have facilitated social house building or other steps to stimulate the market. What role do you see London playing in that?

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 22 June 2005

Will you be taking steps, when you get all these new powers, to close the loopholes that developers are currently using in order to get round this affordability, so that they are only doing one bedroom flats, instead of homes for families?