• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

I have some figures in front of me which I am happy to share with the Mayor which tell us that in 1996/97 there were four derailments on running lines; one in 1997/98; one in 1998/99; three in 1999/00; and four in 2000/01. The fact that there are four within two days is obviously very alarming. Obviously, as you say, we need to look at the trend. It worries me that, as with all these rail incidents we have a grave responsibility to ensure that we maintain public confidence in our transport systems. It would be very helpful, and this...

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

Of course, Camden Town is in my Barnet and Camden constituency. I was there on Sunday afternoon. Since then I have been working very closely, particularly with the officers of the London Borough of Barnet, to try and ameliorate the situation we have. I would like to press the Mayor on specific issues to try and make life easier for the 750,000 constituents and others like myself who use the Northern Line on a daily basis. Will the Mayor suspend the road works on the Transport for London (TfL) controlled A41?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

I refer to your statement on BBC London News: `Bob and I are not in charge. It has been privatised." I find that extremely unsatisfactory from the Mayor of London. I am not sure if you are a Mayor or a mouse of London perhaps, because it is not good enough.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

We are doing that.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

The Mayor talked about residents using other public transport providers. Will the Mayor accept that many residents will have no choice in this situation but to use their cars? Therefore, will he make the necessary arrangements? I expect the answer would include a suspension of congestion charging and extra car parking provision in Central London for the thousands of people in the London Borough of Barnet who now have no choice but to drive into Central London whilst there is no Tube service in my Borough.

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

A point of information. Will the Mayor tell us how he is going to keep Assembly Members informed? Will it be a weekly direct bulletin from you to Members? Can you tell us how you are going to keep us informed? It would be much better than listening to you on the radio.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

I think it is a matter of wide knowledge that the reason there was no scrutiny into this is because the debate on it would have been largely a name-calling and ideologically driven debate between different factions of politics in London. I think that illustrates the unsatisfactory nature ultimately of the PPP. As you know, Labour members supported it but we supported it with a number of checks attached to it, the fundamental one being about safety. Rather than name-calling today, we need to ask ourselves as Londoners whether we got it right on safety, which is obviously what people...

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

Tube Lines.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

Your officers have not responded to requests from Barnet officers, and your office has not responded to my request made at 10 o'clock on Monday morning. On the Red Routes that you control on the A41 and A1 can you take emergency traffic order powers to increase the usage of the bus lane, for instance, outside just the rush hour so that the bus lane can operate all day, and suspend the parking provisions on those roads. I know it will affect traders, but this is the only way we are going to get the buses moving down the A1...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 22 October 2003

We agree on that.