• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Your principal stick in planning powers is your power to direct refusal. Indeed, it is interesting that, in today's list which you have produced for us, only one direction of refusal is listed, which is on the grounds that there is insufficient affordable housing. Do you think it is right that you should be able to tell London boroughs which have agreed particular development schemes and plans, "Unless you do as I say, I will direct refusal"? Why should you know better than the London boroughs what they should be doing on their own ground?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

But this huge cut in the safety work will have to be funded, so that will come away from your desire to invest in buses. It is going to affect our ability to improve bus services, isn't it?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Angie Bray: That is your answer, is it? The Mayor: That is my answer. Angie Bray: Right. Well, let me continue to press you on this subject - The Chair: Could you put it as a question, Angie, please? Angie Bray: It was a question, and I will ask another question. To be honest about this, the numbers that travel on buses are tiny compared to the number on the Tube, so "tinkering" is an accurate description. Anyway, let me provide you with an example in which the carrot approach has been slightly more successful. Jenny Jones mentioned this interesting...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Your principal stick in planning powers is your power to direct refusal. Indeed, it is interesting that, in today's list which you have produced for us, only one direction of refusal is listed, which is on the grounds that there is insufficient affordable housing. Do you think it is right that you should be able to tell London boroughs which have agreed particular development schemes and plans, "Unless you do as I say, I will direct refusal"? Why should you know better than the London boroughs what they should be doing on their own ground?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

But this huge cut in the safety work will have to be funded, so that will come away from your desire to invest in buses. It is going to affect our ability to improve bus services, isn't it?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Yes, we learn from our own experience here, don't we? You also emphasised the importance of politics in the real world, in the sense that party policy requires extensive use of disincentives to impact the way in which people behave. Can I turn to one specific problem here in London? That is the problem which has been revealed today of this cut in support for London Underground. Will that not hamper your ability to invest in transport so as to provide the carrot for people not to drive into town? Are you not going to have to think about delaying...

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Andrew Pelling: You place great emphasis on the powers you have or do not have. After the experience you have had so far, what advice would you give the Government about whether they should force mayoral options on other local authorities both in London and around the country? I personally would favour a directly elected Mayor for Croydon. The Mayor: You would ride to power on the Coulsdon bypass. Andrew Pelling: Absolutely. You have said that you are against having directly elected mayors: why is that?

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

But we made no decision on and no changes to that element of the Budget. Let us get it clear on the record that you are not describing it as it was: when it came to the Budget last year, we made no changes or recommendations on what you had said. This was your decision, and it was not an Assembly input that changed it.

• Question by: Samantha Heath
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Samantha Heath: You actually have six on the roll for biodiversity. The Mayor: One is producing it. Samantha Heath: Anyway, going on from that, it is not simply a question of resources: it is also programming and planning. Way back last year, we were told that it would be published on 11 July. Then we were told, on 11 April; then we were told, on 8 May; then we were told, on 21 November. You did not have the courtesy to tell us it had been postponed into February, and now it is to be May. It is not just...

• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Rather than sticks and carrots, Ken, can I talk about bulldozers for a minute? I was present at a very broadly based community meeting in Kennington and Vauxhall on Monday night. Two thirds of the community there - most of them chairs of residents' associations and so forth - expressed support for congestion charging at the beginning of the meeting. By the end of the meeting, I think as a result of their deep sense that TfL does not listen to local communities and is not interested and probably will not change very much, people were walking out. Are you...