• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

I think we have almost done this issue to death, Chair. For the satisfaction of the Labour members and the many people we represent, I would be interested to explore, very briefly, the question of what the Liberals call the toolkit, and what I would call the framework for consultation. I think that you would have greater credibility with Londoners if you were to spell out very clearly the nature of the consultation you will carry out. To simply say that this is covered by a Planning Act, this is covered by a Transport Works Act, is all very clever...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

It is well for you, as Mayor of London, to patronise as many people as you want. If you want the tram in West London, you're going to have to work with us; you're not going to have to sit there and insult us. Nobody has said yet, "We do not want the tram"; what they have said is, "Talk to us so we can get it right. Stalinist approaches to delivering services in London will not help and will achieve nothing. Work with us, not against us.

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

Provided there is a measure of openness about the phrasing of the questions, and the publication of the results, then I think it does help eliminate the process.

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

In which case, could you put the Assembly members top of the queue? Secondly, will you undertake that, going forward with that toolkit, the way that TfL consults, should include elements such as proper statistically representative opinion sampling, which is relatively cheap and easy to do, use of citizens' juries and focus groups, and the whole range of modern ways of engaging with stakeholders, so that we can get to the bottom of what people think and engage them properly in the process?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

Can you tell us - you do consultations all over London on bus and tram routes - how many times have you ever changed your mind about anything as a result of those consultations?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 27 March 2002

I appreciate that you are restrained by the remit that you are elected under and so on, but what you are saying is that de facto London needs to plan beyond its boundaries in the east and there may be other places as well. I have been worried about your draft SDS in that you draw an artificial boundary. I think you need to do more to address that problem and I would be failing in my job if I didn't also mention Crossrail of course, because if you don't put the transport infrastructure in then you are not going...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 27 March 2002

: I wanted to return to the root of the question, but the point about school sites is a very important one and I don't know whether my group is going to punish me for this but I am totally behind you on the principle of what you are saying about open space and I think a lot of work needs to be done on that. But my question on population projections and on growth in London is: do you think it makes sense for your SDS and other work to work co-operatively with adjoining local authorities such as Thurrock...

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 27 March 2002

Grant increase is very welcome and very necessary, but it's about a lot more than that, isn't it? There are some very major decisions that need to be taken if London is to get the sort of infrastructure it will need to absorb a population increase of the size of the city of Leeds in only ten years. In planning terms that's a very short period. The Mayor of London needs to be taking the lead in this and engaging with all the various players in what is loosely called London Government to achieve the necessary decisions, the rebuilding of...

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 27 March 2002

I will talk to Mike Ward about the way in which we now amend what has already been written in terms of documents. This is a case for all the strategies. We will come back and look at it.

• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 27 March 2002

You said there that it's sustainable provided quick decisions are taken. Our system, rightly or wrongly, militates against any quick decisions on anything significant. What are you doing to unite all the London agencies, the boroughs, the LDA and so on to take these quick and right decisions?