• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 23 May 2001

I am genuinely concerned for the Mayor's health: perhaps the strain of canvassing for his new-found friends in the Labour party is telling upon him. Not only does he appear to imagine the CIA under every bed: he is now also imagining things which were never in the Conservative party manifesto - if he has ever bothered to read it. Would the Mayor like to note, first, that the Conservative party has pledged to match the current Government's level of spending on the Health Service; secondly, that the plans for £8 billion of savings - which are the only plans...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 23 May 2001

Elizabeth Howlett: Mr Mayor, you may be surprised or not surprised to know that we do not give a fig for your advice on the leadership of the Conservative party, and that we have no difficulty in dealing with our own shadow Ministers. I think it is a cheek what you have just come out with. Have you dropped your independent status altogether? The Chair: Ask a question, please. Elizabeth Howlett: This is a question, Chairman. Now that you have decided to canvass in marginal seats for the Labour party, has Millbank given you all that extraordinary and silly information...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 December 2001

Not only has he not answered one bit about the evaluation, because of course there has been no evaluation of the training, but the figures that I have got which have been provided for me on the costs of this programme - this is simply the training part of the programme - is indeed £13 million and not £8 million.

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 December 2001

What consideration has the Star Chamber given to the £40 million diversity training budget of the MPA, and how have they considered that it has provided value for money?

• Question by: Lord Duvall of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich OBE
• Meeting date: 12 December 2001

Presumably then the MPA evaluated the consequences of the slippages around these decisions then?

• Question by: Lord Duvall of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich OBE
• Meeting date: 12 December 2001

And does the MPA support that then?

• Question by: Lord Duvall of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich OBE
• Meeting date: 12 December 2001

Could you tell me whether the MPA supports the MPS in reversing some of the thrust of its policy decisions that we took last year relating to the budget?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 12 December 2001

Are you satisfied as Chair of the MPA that all opportunities for saving and also opportunities for generating income will be reported to the MPA and to this Assembly as a part of the budget making process before the budget is set rather than significant sums being reported several days after the budget is set, as happened last year.

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 23 May 2001

I am glad you are backing the local campaign for a shopping list of needs for Hackney were an Olympic bid to go ahead. I am interested in your comment about the spur to Stoke Newington, because residents of Hackney South, Brian Sedgemore's constituency, are also keen to benefit from the Hackney/south-west line. You talk about major progress being made in the last year, and that is a recognition of the importance of London government, the Assembly and your role; but it is worth recognising that the route was safeguarded quite some time ago. So, while your support has been...

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 23 May 2001

Thank you, Mayor. It is worth commenting that, under a Labour Government, we are getting far more input into public transport links, particularly rail links, than we did in 18 years of Tory Government. The £150 million that is so far earmarked is very welcome. But I really wanted to question you on the needs for Hackney in particular. You are on record as saying that it could just about be possible to get the Hackney/south-west line in place for a 2012 Olympics. However much I would like to see that happen, I think it is very optimistic. I am...