• Question by: Victor Anderson
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

That is an encouraging answer. During the first six months of the GLA, when you had your policy commissions, I went to an interesting meeting about what's become the draft London Plan, where Professor Peter Hall and Nicky Gavron spoke about Orbirail and the idea that this would be a key part of your Spatial Development Strategy, that you would have an orbital rail route joining up inner-city areas, and then you would have interchanges between that route and the radial routes coming out from Central London. The phrase that was used was `the city of interchange" because London was...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 16 October 2002

On consultation, the fact that most of the infrastructure for Orbirail is in place - it would be a very cheap and efficient scheme to implement - it could give you an easy time as Mayor in terms of the consultation process on that. You would be unlikely to have rooms of rabid car drivers attacking your plans.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

That is very pleasing particularly given the comments that you made earlier on about the implications of PPP for the future of service on the Central Line which this spur of Crossrail is designed to supplement and reduce overcrowding between Liverpool Street and Stratford. I wonder, could you just make it absolutely clear to us what the implications are for the Central Line and how this part of Crossrail will help to improve that service from East London?

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

It doesn't look so far as if it is going to go through Wandsworth, but there was an agreement during your GLC tenure that perhaps there could be a spur going into Battersea. Now what chance of that?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

I very much welcome what you are saying about the Docklands railway. Can I add to that that the Royal Docks option would probably help Barking and Dagenham to a far greater extent than going straight south of the river, but in no way am I suggesting that the south of the river option should be traded for one north of the river. I accept the arguments for that, but are you prepared to keep the door open for something else which may not be full-blown Crossrail, but which is a heavy rail improvement into the Barking and Dagenham area...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

You'll appreciate that there's a problem and the problem is that there is a contradiction between the route options that you're proposing and the rhetoric that you've been putting out about the Barking and Dagenham riverside area and its potential for regeneration. First of all, I'd very much welcome an announcement or a commitment to the DLR being extended into Barking and Dagenham, I know that's very much on the agenda now. The consensus in Barking and Dagenham is that without a fast rail link we're not going to get the sort of housing numbers, the sort of regeneration in...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

I totally agree. Do we get a guarantee from you then, that as far as you're concerned you will not support premium fares on Crossrail and you will make that conditional of your support for the whole project?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

Actually mine is on exactly what you just mentioned and thank you for your commitment to Stamford Hill and Clapton. The Crossrail Two was not the Underground line that was promised - we are now getting a commuter heavy line - what has happened in between? People in Hackney were promised a Tube line through, but what appears to be the proposal is somewhat different in terms of Crossrail Two. Or have I misunderstood the plans?

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

I think people in South London are very unhappy with the lack of attention that their public transport infrastructure is receiving. Yes, Crossrail does offer some hope for the future for some of the northern most areas of South London adjacent to the river, but you did promise us a review of over ground services in South London as I recall, in November. We need it and we need it very badly and I think resentment is building up when people see projects like Crossrail speeding ahead and really important projects like the East London Line being tripped up by...

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 13 March 2002

I am going to read you two quotes and you have got to tell me if you recognise the author of these quotes, "The arches of the Braithwaite Viaduct could potentially make a positive contribution towards the re-generation and re-development of the area." That was a really nice press release, Bishopsgate Viaduct should be saved, it says. The second quote headed, "Disappointed with timing of Braithwaite Viaduct listings," says, "This is another example of English Heritage potentially sabotaging important economic development in London. I hope they have the sense to allow Tower Hamlets council to give appropriate permissions to allow...