• Question by: Toby Harris
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

Given that the Met is it now at its highest ever strength and is still growing, and last year's crime figures have demonstrated that this has already had an effect, what do you think the consequences are of Iain Duncan Smith's proposal to slash police numbers by this sort of number?

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

I must say we have had a totally hypothetical discussion so far because nobody believes that there is the remotest chance of Iain Duncan Smith ever becoming Prime Minister. The only interesting thing that has come out of this is the statement from the Conservative leader here that his Party is as united as Mr Blair and Mr Brown, and we take note of that. Can I ask the Mayor given the number of increases he repeatedly says there have been in police and now PCSO's on the street, why does he think it is that public satisfaction with foot...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

You must know, as Toby knows, that of course there has been no such proposal made by any Tory politician to reduce police numbers by 20%. It is quite clear how the next 12 months are going to go so far as Toby Harris is concerned. The truth of the matter, is it not a fact that the only truthful statements, made by Tories, about police numbers have been made by members who sit here, who year after year have proposed increases in police numbers only to see them voted down by the Labour group? Is it not also a...

• Question by: Toby Harris
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

Given that the Conservative Party is united around the leadership they are given by Iain Duncan Smith, do you think that the effects on Londoners' lives of the Tory Party's ambition to cut public spending, including that of emergency services by 20%, is something that Conservative members of this Assembly are going to be happy to live with over the next year?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

The point here is that it is the perception. Not that I want to make all boroughs knuckle down " this is really something that we need to engage with boroughs on, but the real question is: do we need to tackle this issue? It is a question of you dealing with the Audit Commission to make sure that the best value performance indicator does deal with perception effectively, so that we are comparing properly. Have you had any conversations with the Audit Commission on that?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

To follow on from that, I would like to bring Members' attention to that hotbed of socialism, Westminster, which has joined the Capital Standards programme because through their enforcement regime and every performance indicator that you look at, it is very clear that they care about the quality of their streets and how they clear the streets. They have joined Capital Standards because they care about the streets and not about political ideology in the way that the other boroughs that Nicky was referring to have mentioned. Lewisham, Southwark, Croydon and Camden are all doing great things on enviro?crime and...

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

On the Capital Standards initiative, for the £15,000 that each of the boroughs were asked to contribute, I have employed an extra man with a broom in Barnet, who is a darn sight more use than sending a CD to every primary school and sending out videos, which is what the boroughs were getting for their £15,000. I am delighted to congratulate Tony Arbour, Leader of Richmond Council, which was chairing the Capital Standards initiative, who this week resigned from Capital Standards because it is a complete waste of officers' time. Surely the Mayor would agree that officers should be...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

You quite rightly mention Croydon, as they are leading the way on the improving the environment in council estates. Having visited them and seen the way they are linking up their neighbourhood wardens with their local youth workers, and diverting young people from antisocial behaviour, I think it is absolutely exemplary; everyone should beat a path and see what has been done on Addington and Field Way estates. As a result, I have called for the scheme to be expanded across London so that more communities can benefit from neighbourhood wardens. However, I want to ask: does the Mayor think...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

I am sure the Deputy Mayor's praise for Croydon will be of some reassurance to the people of Croydon who were so disappointed when she failed to turn up for the Croydon Summit yesterday. Can I go to the issue of neighbourhood wardens, and ask the Mayor if he shares the concerns frequently being expressed by Deputy Commissioner, Ian Blair, about what he calls `the Balkanisation of policing in London" which led to the setting up of the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)? He believed that council?employed neighbourhood wardens have a very important and distinctive role to play, as they...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 21 May 2003

You would agree with me that a cleaner neighbourhood equals a cleaner London, which then equals a positive factor in attracting more visitors to London. Can you tell us how you can use, if you like, your growing influence and relationship with the business community to get them to work with local boroughs. Without a doubt, if you look at the increase in fast food outlets, they have got to be responsible for the increased level of litter. If you look at the lock-up shops and the units that people come and rent open from nine to five, and then...