• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Well, it is not really. Out of how many? Out of how many?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Can I just make a final point, and then I am going to hand over to Damian (Hockney). I have to say ' call me a cynic ' but a lot of people would say that you are driving these businesses as close to the deadline as you possibly can by not having meaningful conversations. One letter of contact is hardly what I would call being in negotiations. Of course, if the deadline gets reached, presumably, down comes the CPO on terms of your choice, rather than theirs. That would be a cynic's view.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

This is not like-for-like, is it? I am looking at a number of businesses, like Sortex, M Laurier and Sons, all of whom have made public statements, `We would be delighted with just simply like-for-like. We do not want to make any money. We were promised that.' What they are going to be, if anything ' £600,000 short. Let me just put it to you: if I came to you and wanted to take your flat in the area or house in the area, and then what happened was that in the process of all this, I took it from...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

You say `overpay.'

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

When you say, `in exactly the same way,' the appeal initially, therefore, from a decision of the ODA, will go to the inspector and then to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). Is that how it will work?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

One thing that I am concerned about: you talked about compensation and about being fair and within codes. What does this mean, in real terms, to the businesses affected? I will explain the reason why I am asking this. Many of the businesses have come to me ' and, in fact, come to many fellow Assembly Members ' and have made clear that the terms they are being offered mean they will have to spend anything up to 20%, 30%, or 40% more from either existing reserves or raised money to be able to continue on the promised like-for-like basis...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

They were lobbying to get their businesses. They were lobbying.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

How much has the LDA paid on lawyers? How much has the LDA paid on lawyers?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

): I am extremely sorry, Mr Mayor, for you to suggest that people who are fighting for their own interests are behaving politically. They are behaving sensibly, in the way I suspect that you would have done, if you were in that position. I have in front of me a letter from the LDA, dated 2 September, on this question of professional costs which are likely to be incurred with regard to business relocation. This letter tells me that you actually estimate that you will be spending £5 million on professional fees relating to businesses' location. As a matter of...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

One of these guys bought his land for £1.25 million. That was three years ago, and then it was valued by Porter Glenny, your people, at £1.071 million, a drop of 24%, when all the other land in the area, because of the Olympics, is going up.