• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

As I understand, a little while ago there was no safety plan in place because it was not clear what New Year's Eve would constitute. At the Authority meeting yesterday I think Sir John implied that it remained the case. Can you update us? Have you been properly told what is planned for New Year's Eve and do you have a safety plan in place for that, given that today is 10 December, just three weeks away?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

I would like to turn to New Year's Eve. This may be more of a question for the Commissioner, but last year we heard from one of the Mayor's advisers that New Year's Eve is not an event but a public order issue. What has your advice been to the Mayor about the policing of New Year this year and of the rugby celebrations on Monday? Are there any events you would strongly advise the Mayor not to proceed with because you would be concerned about not being able to police them safely?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

Be that as it may, you made it quite clear yourself that there is no proper distinguishing between the allocation of these costs. You have merely suggested that there is a matching. I think that we ought to have known precisely what comes in and what goes out. Nevertheless, this really means that we really ought to be discussing once again the question of a national police force. I will tell you why it has become even more important this morning. Do you accept, as the Commissioner accepted in the response to the first debate this morning, that as he...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

That does not get away from the fact that your Government may well be in power but they do not seem to be in control. I thought Governments could change previous Governments' formulae.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

I think there is cross-party support for community policing and getting police out onto the streets of London, and indeed making London a safer place. But I wonder if there is Governmental support for it. There is a lot of hot air and words spoken by this Government about policing in London, but if London was funded at the same level as it was in 1996/97 the Government grant would be some £240 million more than it is now; indeed £54 million is being held back this year. Lord Harris, you know that the Mayor is certainly pressing very hard...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

There have been similar initiatives to Step Change in the past which I know the Met acknowledged to have failed. Why do you think they failed in the past? What will be different this time?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

One of the issues I wanted to raise, and I think Elizabeth Howlett alluded to this, is that there is no commitment for extra beat officers under the Conservative proposals. But what happens if you do strip out resources from some of the essential services, such as the Serious Crime Squad, to fund community policing as Richard Barnes outlined and that we are all meant to be supportive of, although some of us do not want to pay for it?