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

Does the cleaning in the square remain on budget? The other day, I saw somebody cleaning the balustrades. There was a row of pigeons sitting on them, and as he moved to clean, they shifted - there is an "f" in that [Laughter.] - allowed him to clean, and then moved back again.

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

I happen to agree with you, as you know, but the problem is that this is in danger of being seen as a joke issue. The Mayor: No, it is not. John Biggs: It is very serious for Londoners. Examining it, we have to ask what the Mayor's strategy is. The strategy would appear to be to evict the pigeon seed seller, but it does not seem to go as far as enforcing a ban on the delivery of pigeon seed in the square, which is presumably what you need to do in order to have an effective strategy. Londoners...

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

As you may recall, I share your distaste for pigeons, and I would be happy if their numbers were falling. But the reason of the question is the fact that you stood on a very clear platform that your management of Trafalgar Square would include the removal of pigeon seed sellers, that the birds were a nuisance, with which I agree, and that their numbers would fall. But the evidence appears to be that, unless, in good old Moscow fashion, you had them rounded up and shot this morning, there are more pigeons in Trafalgar Square today than there were...

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

I think I can corroborate what colleagues have said. [Laughter.] Though not what you said at the end of your last answer. On a recent visit to Trafalgar Square, I saw more people feeding the pigeons from home-made kits than there used to be when the seller was there. Your heritage wardens were not only not stopping it: they were not even expressing displeasure. In fact, all they were doing was playing football with a Coke can between three of them. I wonder what the purpose is of your heritage wardens in Trafalgar Square, because they clearly were not fulfilling...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 September 2001

Aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and the figures from your own transport strategy state that, if Terminal 5 were to go ahead, even with improvements in public transport such as CrossRail and so on, we would still see car passenger numbers - not even looking at aviation numbers - rise from 27 million a year to 40 million. You have alluded to many of the problems that Londoners are facing. Millions are affected by noise, by the adverse environmental impacts of this increase in aviation. Do you not think it is time that...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 September 2001

Thank you, Ken; I will lead on these questions on behalf of the Green group. You referred to your transport strategy and the case for expansion it makes, subject to environmental constraints. What are those constraints, and how are we going to measure them? What criteria do we have at the end of the day for saying that enough is enough, and what real impact will such constraints have on aviation numbers?

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 19 September 2001

Will you also be looking at the integrated aspect? The Mayor: Yes. Louise Bloom: I ended up getting the train, then a bus, then another bus; and by the time I finally reached Kingston town centre, I was so sick of it, I got in a cab to go to Surbiton. It was totally ridiculous - a two-hour journey to travel seven miles, just because integrated and properly timed transport was not available on a Sunday evening.

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 19 September 2001

Ken, you briefly touched on the issue of public transport around Heathrow. Will the CrossRail fares be more affordable than the Heathrow express fares, which are high? Secondly, is TfL going to do something about the total lack of integrated transport around Heathrow? I recently flew back from Stockholm to Heathrow, and I did not have my car there, as I had left from Gatwick. It took me two hours to fly 888 miles from Stockholm; but it took me two hours on a Sunday to get from Heathrow to Surbiton, a distance of seven miles. Clearly people are going...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 19 September 2001

May I first welcome your comments, Mr Mayor, on the voles at Heathrow and the danger that they and other native species face across London - and, indeed, across the country - and your implied, if not expressed, support for hunting to eradicate wild mink, which no doubt the Greens and their compatriots have let loose. [Laughter.] Darren Johnson: We completely oppose the release of mink from those farms, and our statements are on record. Richard Barnes: Would you allow us to hunt them to get rid of them? I am not surprised by your comment, Mr Mayor, about tax...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 19 September 2001

I will definitely find out. Just one final question. Obviously this topic of debate was tabled before the tragic events last week, so I do not want to dwell on them, but they show the terrible consequences of an air disaster over a very densely populated area. Is it time, do you think, to look at the number of flights over London and whether these are in safe boundaries, given the huge numbers involved and the fact that concerns have repeatedly been expressed about the safety of flights over London?