• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

One suggestion, which happened to be in the Labour manifesto, was that we should tie this in some way to greater access to museums and make it into a day when people would enjoy travelling in to London - certainly it would be at a weekend - and get free access to places that ordinarily they might have to pay for. It could be a good way of investing to change people's habits. My other question is about Jenny's question rather than just Tower Bridge. The draft business plan for Transport for London suggests that you are going to cease...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

John Biggs: That was a rather sad attempt at a soundbite. I went there as the representative of the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, who was unavailable that day. It was quite a pleasant affair, but I was alarmed to read that £100,000 had been budgeted for this. Brian Coleman: What? John Biggs: I would like your undertaking, Mr Mayor, that you will publish the accounts of Car Free Day. I agree with many people around this table that the principle of encouraging people to think of alternatives to their cars is very sound, but something which, as you have conceded...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Is this not proof that you believe in government for the few and not the many?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

So you are telling us that you actually have no measure of whether this has been a success or not? In that case, why do it at all? Why not have it on 29 February? Then we would only have it once every four years.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Bearing in mind that, as you say, it is not exactly a representative audience of Londoners who were there, how do you measure whether this has been a success rather than just a pleasant moment for some people to enjoy their extreme hobby together?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Yes, but that is the way people are feeling, so it is incumbent upon you - and upon us - to go out and lead that. Do you have the up-to-date statistics on job losses in the tourist industry, and are you asking the LDA to take a lead in ensuring that those Londoners whose jobs have gone will be re-skilled and guided into new employment?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

That is good, because I think that some leadership is needed at this time. Significant falls have been reported in, for example, theatre ticket sales. What action do you think you can take personally to encourage audiences back into the theatres before they all go dark? It has been very impressive to watch Mayor Giuliani go out there: could you give leadership like that, saying as often as you can that we defeat terrorism by going to shows, living as normally as possible, coming to London to stay and to go out to eat? Where are you in all this...

• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Everything you have said is very welcome. Could I raise one or two practical matters? First, would you take the initiative in urging the LDA to get together with the business organisations, particularly London First or whatever it is now called? The impact stretches beyond the tourist organisations which are members of the LTB. Secondly, there is still a lot of confusion about the tourist offer for London and what the brand is. There are two or three brands floating about. I wonder whether you would take this opportunity to use your authority as Mayor to bring everybody together to...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

I do not have up-to-date figures on job losses, because I assume they will start to come through only in the immediate forthcoming period. Many people have hung on through the foot-and-mouth crisis, and this is the final blow. But the LDA are taking the lead in this, and I know that they are working with the tourist industry to do what they can.

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

On the Olympic bid, most of us, I think, share the concern that we want it to happen; but is a London Olympic bid for 2012 realistic now? We are talking about cost-benefit analysis and so on. My understanding is that Paris and Istanbul are already up and running. About eight USA cities are trying to bid and have websites up and running, and we have nothing. Should we be a bit more realistic, because it is having an impact on plans for various areas in the East End of London, as you know full well? It might be better...