• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

Thanks very much, George. But given that so much of the case for the river crossings has rested on the supposed regeneration benefits there is obviously a leadership role for the LDA in terms of the consultation around that as well, rather than just say it is a transport issue which is in TfL's department. So I would just like a bit more detail as to how you are going to ensure that the economic questions are properly addressed during that consultation stage and also to ensure that real benefits for local people are actually quantified in terms of the...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

The first proposal for a river crossing at Gallions Reach was made somewhere in the 1930s, so we are heading towards the 70th anniversary of this proposal. I don't want to make a speech here but there are three questions. My good colleague Len Duvall, who is one of your deputy chairs is, of course, in a leading role on this. The first is that there is some concern in East London that this is a bit of hot potato and that while people support the principle, we are not too sure whether it is actually going to go ahead...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

Lynne and Sally both went into issues following the dreadful events in New York so I don't want to go over the same ground but, in terms of air crashes, what procedures are in place for dealing with an air crash in London?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

Does that mean you don't have any sort of liaison or dialogue with the Civil Aviation Authority over such issues?

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

Can I just ask you a short question on that, Val? Those of us who have been borough councillors are not only aware of the emergency planning procedures at local level but, in many cases, have seen the detail of that (and I felt very sick when I read a report of a simulated exercise of a plane coming down about 40 yards from where I live). But I understand that it is not actually a statutory duty for the boroughs to have emergency plans. Do you think it should be?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

Are there obvious lessons to be learned from New York? I know there's been practical support offered by the London Fire service which is obviously to be very welcome to New York. But are there lessons to be learned and will the Fire Authority be working with the New York Fire Authorities to look at lessons to be learned from those events?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

I'm sure that many of us round this table would be happy to apply any political pressure that you might feel would be useful on that, because there are extraneous circumstances in this case. I'm heartened by what George Barlow said about robust financial measures in general, because I think this is something that will be of real concern to people out there on the ground who are losing out. Can I move on and pick up a little bit on the same point really, about the split that exists in London between economic development and social regeneration. The LDA...

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

I think we all appreciate the constraints of the SRB project and look forward to the new unveiling of the 'single pot'. What representations have you been making to Government? Because this is £10 million that Londoners will not get spent on them, as you say, unless you can come to a deal with Government. Is there any prospect of that and what discussions are you having?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 10 October 2001

It just seemed odd to me that I discovered that you were doing this internal review when I read the audit report, which was at the same time that you wrote to me, but it wasn't mentioned. I think we've hopefully all learned from this and clearly we will now rush to get to LDA parties, even if they improve " there wasn"t much on offer for £280 a head, I can tell you. Moving on to more substantial part of the budget, the bit that really affects ordinary Londoners - and I think there was a regrettable incident there...