• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Don't you think that you have missed a trick on this one? You would have the opportunity on 23 April, and every 23 April, not only to celebrate our patron saint but Shakespeare, because it is also his birthday. That would give you the most marvellous opportunity. You could dress up as a Morris dancer. You could shake your cap and bells at the Globe Theatre while declaiming the soliloquy from "Hamlet". That would rejuvenate London's tourist economy all on its own. The serious point is that, if you truly want to encourage tourism, the appropriate thing would be to...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

As you did not discuss congestion charging, we are still going to do so. It is my view that, when you go live, you will need to be incredibly flexible. I do not think you have necessarily got the charging level or the boundary right; there are several issues on which you will need to be flexible. The idea that you will get everything right on "go live" day is far-fetched. However, I think that the Conservatives perpetuate a myth that this will be like Armageddon, and somehow London will grind to a halt - Tony Arbour: "Carmageddon"! Lynne Featherstone...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Can we take it from that that the Minister has given you an assurance that he will not use his reserve powers to step in and prevent the charge from being imposed?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

So you cannot really point to any significant benefits from lobbying for Londoners that have flowed from your mayoralty.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

What did Londoners get that we would not have got if you had not been there?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

London did no better than the rest of the country, as I understand it. You did not secure a better deal for London.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

So what deals have you done for Londoners?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

I think we can note from what you just said that the single most important financial decision of your mayoralty will come in January or February when you decide whether to proceed with this massive letting of contracts on the congestion charge. Everything you are telling us confirms that you are very nervous about this: politically you want to be bullish, but you are aware that you may suffer a cruel crucifixion on the issue. My question refers to the question on the paper, about discussions with Government. Many Londoners say to me, "The problem with Ken Livingstone is that...

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

I have something sad to tell you - I dreamed about congestion charging last night. That is the sad, bad news. The good news is, it was working - so no problems there. Andrew Pelling: It was just a dream. As you know, I am very concerned that this works and is seen to be working - The Mayor: I cannot hear the question, because everyone is giggling. Jenny Jones: You have said before that it is always the motoring correspondent who reports on the congestion charge, so it is always bad news. Have you done anything about promoting it...

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Just a point of clarification: it is not £250 million on IT; it is £200 million engineering and £50 million on IT.