• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

In terms of the wider implications, post-September 11, do you agree that the Prime Minister's apparent desire for a war with Iraq will increase rather than diminish the chances of a terrorist attack in London? Although you were fairly quiet during the Afghan bombing, you continue to be an outspoken opponent of starting a war with Iraq over the coming weeks.

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

I was going to just put some flesh on the Mayor's comments, to reassure Eric that the emergency services have looked in detail at what happened in America. There was a whole-day seminar, which Nick Raynsford hosted, looking at the experience in the States. Most recently, Toby, myself, and the two commissioners of the functional bodies and the Ambulance Service, looked at the McKinsey Report, which really focused on the communication difficulties that happened in New York. I think nationally those lessons have been learnt as well. The Government announced the Fire Link scheme recently, so that we will have...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

Trevor Philips: Thank you for that. I think that is probably something we should put on the Bureau of Leaders agenda to discuss. Tony Arbour: I think your last answer, simply by saying that we are better prepared than New York was last year, might indicate a level of complacency because that cannot of itself mean that we in London and the emergency services are totally ready. The Flooding Scrutiny Committee, for example, has recently heard evidence how under-funded the emergency services are in London as a whole; that is the services which are effectively provided by the boroughs. You...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

I want you to call a meeting here so that the Mayor and also the chairmen of these public bodies can brief us - the elected members of the GLA - on contingency plans for protecting London in the event of a terrorist act, or in fact of a strike of a public authority, which could render the capital inactive. This is very important and I think you should have this meeting instead of these odd little bits in answer to questions.

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

Are you urging a `no" vote in the fire fighters" strike ballot?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

If you accept - which I assume you do - that any industrial action by fire fighters could be damaging to London, and if you support - which I assume you do - the Government's announced enquiry into pay and conditions for fire fighters, will you therefore be urging London fire fighters to vote `no" in the ballot on industrial action?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

Can I ask you: do you think the antipathy which we have recently seen to you from the Prime Minister and some members of his government, is rendering you rather impotent in order to protect this very important international capital city? Do you feel that you're a bit impotent because of this difficulty you have with actually communicating for London? Do you think that it inhibits London in any way?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

After September 11 last year, you said that an emergency control room would be set up in Romney House. You also said that an emergency control room would be set up in this building with a hotline directly to central government. Has that been done, have you used this hotline and who is on the end of the hotline to answer you?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

Just to comment on the contingency arrangement in the event of a strike. There have been military personnel in training for a couple of weeks and provision has been made for London to have about 90 Green Goddesses. We would not have 100% standard cover that we have in the normal course of events, but it still would be significant cover across London. I think if there was a catastrophic incident or terrorist incident, even the fire fighters on strike, the pattern in the past has been that they would actually come back in and come off strike and attend...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 18 September 2002

Can I ask how you can conceivably say that the strike ballot is an internal matter for the trade unions in which you will not intervene, when the result of a strike vote and withdrawal of labour might very well be that Londoners lose their lives?