• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

I think I was defamed a few times. I have worked closely with the community groups and community activists involved in opposing the Arsenal proposal over a number of months. The idea that I just picked up on this last week and shoved down a question for the Mayor without thinking about it is utterly ridiculous. There are some real concerns here about the impact on traffic, about inadequate public transport proposals when there is a new development of this size, about the loss of jobs when local businesses close. It is a serious issue and requires serious consideration. The...

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

As you know, Ken, the deal that the Government and the Conservatives made in order to get the NATS arrangements through was a postponement for three months. This is not quite verbatim, but the Transport Minister said, in effect, that this was to get the detail right. I for one find it quite staggering that, on an issue like this, the Government are not yet confident that they have the detail right; perhaps that is a side issue. As well as campaigning publicly as part of the run-up to the election, will you make representations about the NATS plans because...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

As someone who is no longer subject to the Whips or to the Treasury, what steps are you going to be taking to continue to promote your viewpoint with the Government on the future of air traffic control in the run-up to privatisation?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

In 1996, Andrew Smith, who is now the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, told the Labour party conference: "Our air is not for sale." Did you support his viewpoint then, and what do you think has made him change his mind since?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

We have recently seen in Croydon examples of senior traffic police officers being taken out of that role - indeed, we have seen significant reductions in the number of traffic police over recent years. Does that have implications, do you think, for the Government in their recently announced desire to be much more severe with drivers who misbehave - and also implications for us in terms of enforcement of our bus lanes? Also, bearing in mind that the decision was made last week to close the police traffic garage in Croydon, despite about £200,000 having been spent on refurbishing it...

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

: I think that my question has been misunderstood. It was about the allocation of resources in terms of police officers to the various boroughs. I will then ask a supplementary, which will be of interest to those representing outer London boroughs. If these additional 1,050 officers are recruited, do you think that Sutton and Croydon will see additional officers to their establishment next year?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

I am really pleased that you are talking to them. It is regrettable if TfL officers were not approached, but TfL is so new that people may not have known who to go to. Let me get back to the question about how businesses might suffer if the system went two-way. That is plainly idiotic. If customers are trapped on one side of the street and cannot cross to the other side, they will do half the business. If people can start crossing the road, they can go both sides and business will improve

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

Yes, but we have all been there, and it is absolute hell in that area. So we are very supportive of that scheme. I happen to know that Eric Ollerenshaw is also concerned about this; so you have cross-party consensus here that this is an urgent area. I did not quite understand your answer, Ken. Did you say that it would affect businesses badly if the system was returned to a two-way flow? That seems totally illogical to me.

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

Does that mean, then, Ken, that you will be asking Transport for London to do studies of the impact on all one-way systems of the proposed congestion charging boundary?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 20 December 2000

I have been lobbying Transport for London myself purely as a local representative on this, so I am heartened to hear that they are taking it on board. I am also heartened that they have agreed at my behest to do a study of the impact of the congestion charging zone on this area, which is just outside. That raises a bigger point about the impact of the congestion charging zone on neighbouring streets, which are likely to take on more traffic, and the money that is available to ameliorate that impact. I hope that you can commit to doing...