• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

I take it from that that you and your officers on TfL will now be enthusiastic advocates of the completion of the three sections of the North Circular Road that remain outstanding.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

Would this have not have been better decided before TfL took their board decision in March? Before that board meeting, TfL and the Mayor refused to meet either residents, MPs, or the local councils to discuss the matter. TfL took the decision. It was only when the London boroughs of Enfield and Barnet served them notice threatening judicial review that the Mayor agreed to hold a series of meetings, which he did two weeks ago. Would that whole exercise have not been better undertaken earlier in the year, to avoid not only unnecessary legal expense by the boroughs of Enfield...

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

Could I turn attention to the protection masters, a group of workers who do not work for LUL particularly but are subcontracted in a most peculiar way. They have no option but to work for one organisation, yet they do not know whether they will be working on any given day. Their terms and conditions seem pretty appalling, but the only thing they can do is work indirectly for you. Have you made it your business to check out the terms and conditions of subcontractors? How are you going to ensure that we have decent terms and conditions for all...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

And on contingency plans?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

I think you are optimistic, but I wish you well with this. If there is industrial action, will you be putting in place a contingency plan so that people still have options if they want to travel into London on strike days? This is something we have not had for the last couple of years, when the Mayor has been responsible for other parts of TfL. How are you going to make sure that the Mayor, because of his backing from the unions, does not end up effectively acting as your human resources (HR) director?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

When you talk about breaking through the culture of distrust bearing in mind the last Tube strike was only actively supported by 17% of the staff are you actually saying you are planning to go past the unions and communicate with the staff directly, rather than just talking to a few militants who might not represent everyone who wants to do a good job on the Tube?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

Will the agreement specifically prevent industrial action on the Underground, or do you feel that like in the USA legislation is required to do that job properly?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

The Environment Committee, or rather Graham and I, met TfL the other week and we came up with the issue of how the Mayor's noise and air quality strategies get embedded. It goes back to Tony's question, because the noise strategy states very clearly that you will consult about buses. Although you will consult if it is related to the noise strategy, what does that mean to your toolkit? If it makes a street noisier, what are you going to do about it? You have the consultation and people say it is making their street noisier, so then what?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

So you are not going to do anything about it.

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 11 June 2003

So the residents of suburban London who effectively have new routes foisted on them " I draw your attention to the routes 419 and 485 in Barnes, where I have been in constant communication with TfL since before your appointment. The residents in quiet suburban streets are having very large double?decker buses and very long single?decker buses going up and down their quiet streets without anybody being consulted on it. I am told there is not a wing mirror which is safe in some of these streets, because of these buses. The argument which is provided by your TfL spokesman...