• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

Could you perhaps consider encapsulating the philosophy you mentioned by asking them to put out a paper or undertake a campaign on that?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

You mentioned a very sound opinion that the EU should not get involved in these sort of micro areas. Is it something you could get London House to lobby on?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

Did London House do anything to counter this threat?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

We are looking at ways to circumvent the EU rules in this, are we not?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

Given the stance taken by UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party), are you perhaps a little surprised that one of their first acts on being elected to this Assembly was to sign up to a ring-fence agreement to protect the staffing at Brussels House?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

How do you explain the Traffic and Transport Report (July 2004) into the Thames Gateway Bridge which says, critically, `It is unlikely that discounts to local businesses could meet the EU restrictions concerning state aid.

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

Given all the pressures facing policing in London, including the very good point just made by Valerie Shawcross (AM), do you actually see it as any sort of priority to work for a merger of the MPS and the City of London Police?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

I welcome your comments, certainly as regards the City of London Police. Do you think that, as well as being more effective strategically if the City of London Police was merged into the Met, that there would also be proper accountability, because the City of London Police would then be properly accountable to the MPA, like the rest of the Met.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

Isn't that sometimes the argument made nationally to have a centralised police force, and to try and centralise everything yet further, and to actually give less responsibility to the police on the ground, surely.

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 20 October 2004

I welcome your response, Mayor. I think that it just brings out the point that, in relation to the City of London Police, they too have, if you like, a terrific support within the City, and a great satisfaction level. I feel that, if we are talking about devolution of responsibility and keeping things local, then surely the City of London Police should be left in the way they are to actually carry on running, rather than being incorporated.