• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

I am pleased that you recognise the importance of the issue of the frequency of the service having some possible impact. You said in your initial answer, provided to you by TfL, that the service essentially was not worthy. I think there is a tremendous latent demand for this type of cross?south?London service, if you improve the frequency. An hourly service, as you say, is one that is likely to act as a big disincentive for people to join the service. Bear in mind also that this is a service that helps people get to work. There is a lot...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

Answer by * Andrew PellingAngie BrayBob BlackmanBob NeillBrian ColemanDamian HockneyDarren JohnsonDavid LammyDee DooceyDiana JohnsonElizabeth HowlettEric OllerenshawGraham TopeJennette ArnoldJenny JonesJoanne McCartneyJohn BiggsKen LivingstoneLen DuvallLouise BloomLynne FeatherstoneMeg HillierMike TuffreyMurad QureshiNicky GavronNoel LCan I for once support my constituency member in what he says about a very important local bus route where I live in Sutton? The old 726 route used to be the old Green Line route that ran from Dartford round to Heathrow. It is the only way, certainly from Sutton, to Heathrow, without having to go into central London and out again. Can you confirm that the TfL proposals for...

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

Can I plead with you to try and keep this service going? This will not be the first set of cuts to this service. It did use to run beyond Bromley. One of the proposals being considered is stopping the service at Croydon. It may well be that Bromley residents are pleased that maybe some of my residents are not going to dash across the border into Bromley. Nevertheless, it is important to retain this type of cross?south?London service. Would it not be better, in fact, to be improving the frequency of this service? Quite clearly, if one service gets...

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

You have often spoken about the importance of improving public transport on an orbital basis in the suburbs; indeed you made reference to it earlier this morning. Is not the problem, Mayor, in terms of running this cross?south?London service, not the number of stops but the amount of traffic? Therefore, it seems counterintuitive to be withdrawing a fundamental orbital public transport service in south London.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

My understanding is that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) object to this because of the signalling at Liverpool Street. Clearly there is a cost involved, but that does not mean that it cannot be done.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

Finally, obviously there will be a detailed examination in Parliament and people will have an opportunity to make their case, but one of the concerns for local business is about the disruption on the Brick Lane economy, the confidence that people have in the visitor economy in that area and the consequence of environmental damage, heavy vehicle movements or whatever. Are you happy to look at the possibility of compensation for business, of mitigation measures and of environmental safeguards, maybe working with the London Development Agency (LDA) to look at whether there are ways in which you can counter any...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

There is a further concern on this which is the proposal that the spoil be conveyed on something like a one?mile conveyor belt to Mile End park, put into an enormous pile " a small mountain " and then carried away to wherever it goes in deepest Essex. Are you happy to explore the possibility that that conveyor belt not be required and that some sidings or whatever is possible, be put close to Allen Gardens if the site happens there?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

The area consists of narrow, densely populated streets with lots of small businesses. Obviously the concern about the disruption is real, as expressed by both Darren Johnson and John Biggs. However, I think there is an underlying feeling that when you say that the people building Crossrail have looked for the best option, what they consider as the best option is perhaps not what the local people consider best and the interests are different. I would just like your assurance that we could have the economics of alternatives laid out in front of us as well as simply locational options.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

I know that the Crossrail team have been doing some detailed work on this anyway. It would reasonable, would it not, for that information to be shared at the Parliamentary Bill stage?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 September 2004

Equally, as regards the question of alternative working sites, I appreciate the point you make about the two?year extension, but clearly that needs to be balanced against the damage and disruption to the local community and environment. There is a cost to the local community and environment. Clearly, in crude terms a two?year extension to the construction may be massively more expensive if you were to come up with a figure for the damage to the local environment, but that does need to be explained, discussed, described and explored during the Bill stage. Are you happy for that to happen?