• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

I am sure that we will take up that offer. When are we likely to see the report on that?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

What about the safety measures within each of the PPP bids already presented?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

The Health and Safety Inspectorate seems to have been quoted with approval by both sides here. We ourselves met London Underground and Transport for London last week, when we had a useful discussion. I suggested then that perhaps we should have the Health and Safety Executive join us, so that they could tell us precisely what their concerns were. That suggestion was vetoed by the Chair of the Assembly. Do you feel it would be useful for the Assembly to meet the Health and Safety Executive and hear their concerns?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

Given the Safety Inspectorate's intervention in this matter and your justified use of that information to challenge the PPP on safety grounds, should we not be able to turn the question around the other way, and ask you whether, in the event that the HSE finds all its concerns addressed, you will withdraw your opposition to PPP on safety grounds?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

I am glad to see that you used the same quote that I used at the meeting with TFL. Nothing was said at that meeting, in my opinion, to reassure me that shadow running or PPP was safe. If this progresses along the track it is following, you were at one time thinking that you might take this further and into a legal arena. The structure, as I see it, is totally about who pays compensation, and not about ensuring that accidents do not happen.

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

I totally endorse that, and welcome the answer. I stress that it does include an area dimension. It particularly affects certain parts of London. I represent Tottenham and Edmonton, where it is a very real issue. I should like to add one rider. Would you join us in pressing the Home Office so that refugees who flee here, who are often the most skilled and educated of their country, can take up jobs as doctors and other health service workers for which they are qualified? We have such skill gaps, and this is a population of people who could fill...

• Question by: Trevor Phillips
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

One thing that interests me in making the Assembly more people-friendly is arranging occasions when other people sit in our seats. One of those would be a children's Assembly. What we are thinking about is having some children in. Would you be prepared to do a question time if we had a children's Assembly?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

It is interesting that you have raised the issue of transport and child-friendliness. Does that not conflict with your preference for maintaining the Routemaster - which I love, but which is not very easy with a pushchair?

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

I welcome that on both counts. We have a long way to go to make London a child-friendly city. We also have a culture which does not encourage children to be or to be seen as participating citizens. This fund and the way in which we monitor the use that children make of it could help that process. I suggest that you link up with the recently appointed London Commissioner for Children's Rights to administer it. I do not want any extra burdens on us. I would also ask for reassurances that a child-friendly dimension to policies will be central...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

First of all, will you accept that the overwhelming majority of local councils in south-east London, both Labour and Conservative, of business organisations and trade unionists would utterly reject the opposition to river crossings argued by Darren Johnson, and would firmly endorse your support of them as absolutely crucial to the regeneration of that part of London, and likely to bring thousands of local and valuable jobs?