• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 15 October 2003

Thank you, Chair. The answer was very encouraging and dealt with a lot of our interests. Chair, you mentioned that we were in Brent last night for People's Question Time. The audience of several hundred people were asked what they thought was London's strongest asset. The answer, by what I think was a very substantial margin, was its people, by which I think we mean the cultural diversity and so on. If that is London's greatest strength - and I think many of us think it is - how will you be able to link that into the bid and...

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 15 October 2003

I just want to persist with this question of the opportunity to complement what is happening with engaging more people and many more young people in sporting activity and making much better use of the existing facilities. We have lost 27 of London's 39 lidos. We have lost nine swimming pools. We have lost six square kilometres of playing fields. We are still losing these sorts of facilities at the moment. It is very important to know from you how you will promote the use of existing facilities and what share of the £1.2 billion we will get.

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 15 October 2003

Thank you, Chair. I have two quick points. One is the size of the stadium, because there is some speculation that because it is only required to be so large for the opening ceremony that if the opening ceremony were done differently then the stadium could be smaller. I wonder if you can comment on that possibility or where your thinking is on that? Secondly, there is the issue of legacy funding, particularly for sporting groups in London. I know it is not a requirement for the technical bid questionnaire for January, but have you had any thoughts yet about...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 15 October 2003

I have two colleagues whose constituencies are in east London and they have some questions. Before I hand over to them, let me just ask a question. How can we use the transforming power of young people in our inner city areas, especially young people from ethnic minority communities, who, at their best, are some of the best sports performers, We note your appointment of Dalton Grant. Can you just tell us how you are actually going to put together a programme to include them from now, rather than call them at the ninth hour? Surely, now is an opportunity...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 15 October 2003

Thank you for that, Barbara. But, let me just push you. Are you saying that at this stage you do not envisage any large infrastructural build? I say this because I had a meeting with a number of people across London and they find that hard to believe, given what we have seen from other Olympics, and given what we have seen in Barcelona, when that stadium was not used; and given that we know that the Sydney stadium is empty unless there is a major game. So it is about assurance. Londoners would be quite happy if you are...

• Question by: Noel Lynch
• Meeting date: 15 October 2003

Yes, there is a decline in sporting facilities. How can you stop the Olympics from diverting the already scarce funds into elite provision? We have had evidence at the Culture Committee that people who need them most will not benefit from what will be needed by the Olympics in the way of training places.

• Question by: Noel Lynch
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

I am bothered by Camden, where it is opposed by practically everybody including the Civic Society, the Architects' Forum, and all the residents and businesses there. We are just worried that we will see these types of corporate, soulless developments all over London, with the destruction of the local community.

• Question by: Noel Lynch
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

You are saying that the objective is to make more money, rather than to take into account any local impact on business in the area?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

I am simply wondering how Mr O'Toole would ensure that any surplus generated by developing Tube assets is not taken away from the Tube and reinvested in the rest of the transport network. Your opening comment was that you wanted to see such assets developed to improve the Tube, but there is always a risk that they will be taken away and spent on buses, for example. Is that an issue for you, or are you a corporate player who is happy to sacrifice the Tube for the greater good of London?

• Question by: Noel Lynch
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003