• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

I have a couple of questions to do with Resilience. A number of my constituents up until last night were on the phone to me and they just wanted you to be clearer about what you said in your opening statement in terms of how they can be assured that this budget will not compromise the outcome of the consultation process on the London Plan. For instance, I would ask you to show me where there are the reserves in LFEPA's budget. For instance, if I can just point to the removal of two fire engines from one part of...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

I have two further questions. The first is about the environmental concerns around the Thames Gateway Bridge. Although there already has been some progress in this direction, I wonder whether you are happy publicly to offer to those with concerns that there will be a proper environmental audit of the impact of the bridge. I am thinking of the interests of my constituents who live in the footfall of the bridge and also those who live in places like Poplar where the air quality is catastrophic. The effects on childhood asthma, disease, and life expectancy of elderly people with respiratory...

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

Can you confirm the five additional Neighbourhood Policing Teams that we are getting in each London borough and what impact that is likely to have on crime?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

You will not be surprised that my questions are on the Congestion Charge extension, which like the West London Tram was one of the issues that saw you heavily defeated in West London. Whatever your boasts about your election victory, it has to be said that Steven Norris (Conservative Mayoral Candidate) did extremely well in West London on both those issues, as did my colleague Richard Barnes (AM) and me, doubling our votes. Therefore, please let us have no more about how you won on the issues at the ballot box - you did not where it counted. On the...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

If you do not get the decision you could be wasting huge amounts of money that could be much better spent on other matters, or just saving the Council Tax payer a bit of money that would otherwise go completely down the drain. How much are you planning to spend on legal costs over the next year or so?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

Could there not be a danger of a real imbalance here, because if you have several million pounds to throw around on legal costs, I doubt for example that local residents- associations in Bexley, or Greenwich Friends of the Earth are going to have the same sort of money to pay expensive lawyers as you? Could this not be a hugely imbalanced discussion at the public inquiry if you are prepared to throw millions and millions of pounds at trying to get your proposal through?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

The inquiry is part of the process, how can you just put that to one side and continue as if nothing has changed? The last time a similar proposal for a bridge came up it was defeated at a public inquiry and I hope it is this time.

• Question by: Joanne McCartney
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

From talking to my residents, the Neighbourhood Policing Teams have been a great success. Could you perhaps just explain how the precept you are asking for this year will add to the Neighbourhood Policing Teams?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

TfL has started preparatory work on the Thames Gateway road bridge. Given that this is now subject to a public inquiry, is it right to be ploughing ahead with this preparatory work in the same way?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 26 January 2005

I am prompted by my colleague's point that it does not give any attention to Richmond, because some of my questions will become slightly more parochial. Within the budget, whether or not money is provided for the South London Partnership, bearing in mind despite promises that agreement of funding has not been provided, the LDA promised to do a lot of work on creative hubs, particularly in outer London. There was talk of £50 million coming that way. What has happened to that initiative? What is the underspending on the LDA's equalities and diversity budget? I am surprised to find...