• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

Do you regard the Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) who have tabled an Early Day Motion calling on you to apologise as a joke, or will you accept their advice and apologise to the Jewish community?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

I do not know why it is you are being so obstinate and obdurate about this. It is entirely out of character. Nor do I know why the party you came out of just spent £4,000 out of public funds providing a party for Chris Smith (MP). Can I ask you to give me some advice on how I should respond to an email I received from a teacher yesterday who told me that a Jewish child had been victimised in the playground by another child who had suggested that he was a Nazi? The child who was chastised for...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

I was merely quoting the advice given to you by the leader of your own party to apologise and move on. I was hoping perhaps you might be man enough to take that. You have indicated that you did not intend to cause offence. Accepting that, will you therefore say that you regret using the words that you did?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

It is a final attempt just to get you to accept that if you had caused offence, albeit inadvertently, whatever your views about the Daily Mail Group are, you are not prepared to just be man enough to apologise to the Jewish people in London who have been offended, whatever your intentions.

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

Do you have any expression of regret to make?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

Nothing in writing?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

My other question is slightly more political. I am very pleased with your comments about housing targets and achievements in London and I wonder whether you would be interested in reflecting on the statement in October 2004 from the Liberal Democrat Group who said at that time: `Thanks to the Mayor's broken promises and lack of leadership, there will be thousands of people right across the capital who will not be able to get their first step on the property ladder.' Do you agree with me that that is a prime example of the sanctimonious, holier-than-thou Liberal Democrat campaigning style...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

A quite worrying constituency matter in relation to Crossrail, which is that there are many vociferous interests campaigning and lobbying on the way in which they might be affected by Crossrail, but one group which has been very silent up until now is the travellers in Tower Hamlets. They are threatened with an evacuation shaft through the middle of their site. Can I take the opportunity to ask you to give a public assurance that you will use your officers to force the various parties including the local council, including Crossrail, Transport for London (TfL) and others to take account...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

As you know, I first worked on the feasibility of Crossrail 25 years ago. I get a sense of déjà vu about Crossrail, and of course totally welcome the fact that the Bill is finally in Parliament. I wanted to test out - because we have been here before - the funding that needs to follow. Could you just clarify and quantify how much the Government have told you they are going to give, and have you got it in writing? I am sorry, but I am cynical.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 23 February 2005

Mr Mayor, I want to return to your remarks about Crossrail. I have brought up the subject of Spitalfields before and the Hanbury Street shaft which is, as you know, in a very densely populated area. Your answer has always been that it cannot be avoided to sink the shaft there. To my knowledge, there has been no serious attempt to meet with the local people and to address their concerns and to look at the possibility of alternative routes. My information is that there are possibilities to route the line either slightly further to the north or slightly further...