• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

In the same way as when he is in the swimming pool in Millbank, the Mayor is the Executive Mayor of London. There is no difference. One of the most extraordinary things of this whole argument was when the Mayor was away and John Craig of the BBC was genuinely surprised to see a letter from the Mayor from Australia, as if he'd not known that there was such a thing as email, fax and mobile phone, let alone landline. It's bizarre. I don't know why you think somehow it's not possible to be in touch with somebody.

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Don't you find that people out there find this a little bit odd, that the Mayor did not delegate his powers as he could do under the Act, and as it indicates under the Act, to the Deputy Mayor?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

But at those times, if you cannot get hold of the Mayor - let's say there was some crisis - you would have to act, and you would be able to act. Let's put it that way. You would be able to act with the full powers of the Mayor and you've been in that position, four times, in the last two years?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Four times you have been in charge in place of the Mayor?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

I am interested in when the Mayor is away. According to The Telegraph, Ken Livingstone is quoted as saying, "My delegation to Simon Fletcher is a routine process I"ve used a number of times'. Has this happened on a number of times that he's signed over his powers to you, not just when he went to Australia? And could you tell us how many times he's done that?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Is it true to say that Ken Livingstone believes in a democratic, accountable and transparent system of government? Would that be fair enough?

• Question by: Toby Harris
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

And does that then feed into their appraisals?

• Question by: Toby Harris
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

So you were well aware of his mind. Can I just move on to my final issue which is about your role in terms of managing what goes on in the second floor Papal court, or whatever it is? Could you tell us how many formal management supervision meetings you aim to have with each of the senior policy advisors during the course of a year?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

You talk about the huge burden that falls on the Mayor's sole shoulders and that you are important to him because you help him to carry that burden. Isn't the real problem that the Mayor has to do with his non-membership of any of the mainstream political parties? He's here as an independent and he cannot actually rely on any of the political groupings to help him shoulder the burden in the usual accountable, transparent way. He has to rely on people like you precisely because he has no relationship with any of the other political parties here.

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Is everything functioning perfectly now? How do you think things should improve in terms of the way the Mayor's office works and your role within it particularly?