• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

I am sure you are aware that there are a great many Londoners in a great many boroughs who think that you should have nothing to do whatever with housing, and if powers are going to be devolved from GOL, they should be devolved to the boroughs. The boroughs know infinitely more about their own housing situation than you do. They do not wish to be experiments in your housing policies. We know what is best in the boroughs. You do not.

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

Excellent. I shall take that as praise for Lambeth. Can you just update me, if you happen to know the answer ' if no, we can pursue it offline ' in terms of our own action here within core GLA and then particularly TfL that we are collecting, recycling, and reusing print cartridges as well.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

Can you assure us that there are mechanisms present in the contracts of the bus operators to ensure that they are actually collecting fares as a priority?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

Is it or is it not the case that revenue section managers who supervise the work of bus inspectors are on performance-related pay, and that they are actually assessed on the number of passengers checked, rather than the number of fare dodgers booked?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

I am quoting your radio jock. Can you confirm that during the annual survey of passenger irregularities that was carried out in November, normal checking duties are suspended for a five-week period?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

I do not know what you are talking about.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

You have not really answered my question. There would be a better incentive for them to ensure every passenger paid, if the fares were going towards defraying the costs of running the route.

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

Well, it is 150 million fares dodged since you came to office.

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

Yes, of course, it is a lot.

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 November 2004

Do you think it would be wise to direct the Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) to target those routes that do have bendy buses, so there is a well-built up, publicised track record of actually attacking this problem on bendy buses as a deterrent, and that people would be hit hard on these bus routes if they do try to evade fares, so that there is no encouragement? At the moment, they are advertised as a free bus, and that is an encouragement to people to leap on and leap off.