• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

But anybody would have to pass through the congestion zone to get to those fire stations, police stations and hospitals that sit within central London.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

Thank you, but at least it gives me the opportunity to come back to where we left off. I was intrigued by your answer to my question, when you talked of looking to managers, when deploying their staff, to take into account your congestion charge - presumably as a way of not having to pass on the cost to the National Health Service. That implies that you are suggesting that staff may have to move house or change their place of work, but as you know as well as I, that would entirely miss the point anyway, because these people...

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

I am not sure about taxis, but longer-term, there is a whole list of festivals that you are developing. In the Budget there are plans for a St Patrick's Day parade next year, and the Respect festival presumably will go ahead again next year, and it will all culminate in 2004 in a "Re-elect Ken" festival. The Mayor: Now that's an idea. [Laughter.] Eric Ollerenshaw: I like to help out. Given also your plans for the pedestrianisation of part of Trafalgar Square eventually as a kind of world-class square, don't you think that some thought now needs to be given...

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

All I am suggesting is that it might be better to do it on an incremental basis - a little bit each year - without the great fanfare of publicity.

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

Finally, what discussions have you had with the surrounding local authorities to try to ensure a similarity of approach? I think, for example, of the developments on the edge of Bexley, Erith, Thamesmead and so on - where it is desirable to have the same approach to developments in the flood plain as there is in Dartford and just down river. Have you been discussing that with neighbouring authorities?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

Given that the Environment Agency plans suggest, for example, that if they are going to maintain flood defence for 30 years afterwards - which seems to be their plan - that could increase the cost of a new 40-home estate by about £100,000. Are you prepared, if need be, to make trade-offs in some of the other targets you are setting in order to achieve the development?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

You said that you had no powers, but you do have the delightful Lord Rogers in your team. When he did the original development brief for Terminal 5, he had some interesting flooded lagoons in re-routing the rivers we are talking about; but they were dropped out successively. Having spoken to the developer, who hails from Scotland, perhaps Lord Rogers could reincorporate that. Since you have such a persuasive way with him, perhaps you could prevail on him to re-include fluvial flooding in the development. My question was not principally to do with the flood defences. Speaking as a civil...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

Richard Barnes: That is a novel concept for those of us who live in west London - unless we listen between the flights. The Chair: Yes, we hear too much. [Laughter.] Richard Barnes: There will clearly be a major environmental impact on an area which is basically Middlesex clay. It was a sludge works, as you know. The water table there is relatively high. Two of the conditions that the Government have placed on the development are the extension of the Piccadilly line and that of the Heathrow Express, but no mention has been made of CrossRail. Would you look...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

Clearly we are not going to reach my question on the green sheet, but there are The Two Rivers at Terminal 5 that will need diverting. What planning powers do you have to protect the environment where the largest building project in Europe has now been given permission?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 21 November 2001

What impact do you think the decision by Government to require developers building on flood plains to pay for some of the defence improvements is likely to have on the prospects of development in the Gateway?