• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

I think that the point here is very simple. As you know, between you and me, if one of us wants to throw a party, it is usually me rather than you.

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

I understand that the overall cost of the event was £42,000, of which you said that £6,000 was paid for by private sponsorship. Why did the authority exist in a world of make-believe on this event, leading the press to say that this was primarily a private-sector-sponsored occasion?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

Two things: first, is £100 million enough, even with authenticated claims; secondly, will you guarantee that this money is spent before congestion charging is introduced? This is of particular interest to people on the boundary, which cuts through my area - Islington and Hackney - but in a wider area too. People in Ilford and parts of Waltham Forest have concerns about park-and-ride arrangements. There would be many proven cases for this money to be spent in a wider area than just around the cordon.

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

Thank you for that. I want to make a special plea for pensioners in Hackney, who have been contacting me about this. Particularly, I hope that Homerton will be in that tranche of 1,000 over the next 18 months. Your news is very welcome. All Assembly Members, I am sure, could draw up lists of the hot spots in our areas where bus shelters should be a top priority. If congestion charging is introduced - all the signs, and your statements, point to that - we need to ensure that public transport is not just better but nice to travel...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

Could we please consider combining public toilets and bus stops, which is done in other countries? This is a good opportunity to put two important services together.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

I think you will be aware that, some years ago, London Transport entered into a fairly cosy deal with a firm called Adshel, who installed bus stops across London; and that since then there has been an undeclared war between them and various other companies, including Decaux. Although you are a relatively unreformed socialist, this might be a case in which competition between those two companies, and perhaps others, could be a means of encouraging the installation of more and better specification bus stops. There is some evidence that that has happened already, but there is concern that TfL are...

• Question by: Louise Bloom
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

I was at the London Accessible Transport Association AGM last week, when the issue of bus shelters and seating was raised by several people. Could you assure us that, when these plans are considered, the needs of disabled people who are not wheelchair users are taken into account, and that suitable seating and other aids are installed at bus shelters?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

I support much of what has been said. The Public Carriage Office is in my constituency, so I have a particular interest. In fact, a number of cab firms are based in my area. There is an important issue about the balance between the quality for Londoners and maintaining the knowledge. If Dave Wetzel talks to the black cab companies, he will find that they have a view that there are ways of speeding it up considerably without watering it down. As has been said, there is certainly capacity for more cabs on the streets. If Dave Wetzel is visiting...

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

It is fine to look at licensing minicabs, but at the end of the day they cannot ply for hire. One of the great problems, certainly in central London late at night, is people wanting to put their hand out and get a cab. There are no cabs there, and the touts are filling a gap - that is part of the problem. I do not think that it is true to say that the police do not try to crack down on it. The former police chief in Westminster, Bob Currie, told me once that they had had a...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 18 October 2000

No: it is not about the standard. Are you saying that three years is a reasonable time for somebody to go through a test? That sounds ridiculous, so can Dave investigate and let us know why it takes so long?