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

Do you accept that the residents of south-west London were bitterly disappointed by the result of the public inquiry into T5, particularly the conditions that were imposed? They were expecting a complete ban on night flights and a much tighter cap on the number of flights. They expected greater restrictions in general, as a quid pro quo for accepting T5. If there were to be a proposal for a third runway at Heathrow, do you accept - I understand the point you make about being the planning authority for London - that that will create an infinitely greater imbalance in...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Your opinion on this subject, as on many others, depends on the people you are speaking to and the forum you are speaking in, rather than any scientific evidence.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

So you are not willing to stand by it in print, but you are willing to state in front of this Assembly that it will happen?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

In a similar vein, and returning to the articles in the Parliamentary Monitor this month, the one you wrote praising congestion charge did not state that improving air quality would be one of the benefits - perhaps not surprisingly, as you have scientific evidence that it will not improve air quality in the central London area, where about 100% of the pollution comes from car exhausts. Why, then, do you use it as a method of improving air quality at Heathrow, where only 60% of the emissions come from car exhausts?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Looking at the latest guidelines, perhaps you could let us know as soon as possible, please, the comments you have made on the consultation on air quality strategy particles benzene, because the latest document from DEFRA has far more stringent targets. For London, it says that you have to meet them - not that you have to work towards them or make your best endeavours; you actually have to meet them. How do you know that the work on Terminal 5 will interface with that?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Will the next draft air quality strategy, when it finally appears, include those, as they are now included in the full transport strategy?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

Absolutely, but the transport strategy is far more specific on this issue. Under policy 4L.4, it refers to "environmental ceilings on noise and emissions levels". Have you had any firm discussions with the BAA and national agreement on that subject? It does not say that you are going to be lobbying - it says that there must be enforceable environmental controls. Have you done any work on that? I was not quite convinced by what you told Darren.

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

I have invited you to lead a debate on this issue for the region, and you have declined to do so.

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

Lynne Featherstone: It is more impressive if it comes from the Mayor, however. John Biggs: A problem we face as Londoners is an implicit acceptance in the political establishment that we need to compete head to head with France and Holland in airport policy. The Greater London Authority Act specifically excluded airports policy from your remit. What is more, any airport policy is bound to go way beyond the boundaries of London and consider the surrounding regions. Do you think we have a sufficiently solid regional alliance to deal with this issue, and what could you do to broker one?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 19 December 2001

So we can rely on you to keep reminding the public of assurances that the BAA have given, then?