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

So you are not happy to be held to ransom by oil companies, but you are happy to be held to ransom by banks?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

Can you give a guarantee to the local people that you see no role whatever for Biggin Hill as London's fourth airport?

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

Were you also aware that there is particular public concern in this area because the majority of the existing hangars at Biggin Hill are used by Formula One Limited as the base of their operations? Would you agree that, against that background and the connections of Formula One, any prudent Secretary of State should be particularly careful to seek independent assessment before giving any go-ahead to such a proposal?

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

I am grateful for both those replies, and this may be an occasion on which we are at one. Are you aware that previous applications in 1988 for a substantial building were turned down by the then Secretary of State because of the significant impact that buildings of that structure would have on the environment in a sensitive area? Secondly, are you alert to the real concerns of people in the locality that this hangar is part of a creeping proposal by the proprietors of Biggin Hill Airport, who now choose to term it "Biggin Hill London Airport" to seek...

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

Thank you for that. One of the items which concerned the Assembly when you told us of it - perhaps at the first Mayor's Question Time - was the likely cost of policing the New Year's Eve event. Do you have plans particularly to address that in this review - both learning what is required by way of policing at large public gatherings, and then perhaps taking forward a discussion of that with those who are concerned in the police? My colleague, Graham Tope, who is Chair of the MPA Finance Committee, is not aware of any further work on...

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

I could suggest to the Mayor that he just visits Barnet, which has been plagued for the last three months with travellers and consequent costs of nearly a quarter of a million pounds. If he wants evidence, I would be happy to provide him and his office with the evidence of the devastation caused by travellers.

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

I am glad you mentioned that. It is ironic that the Conservative policy now is to reintroduce permanent sites. You say that the Government should do it, but surely there is some opportunity in the strategic development strategy for London for you to champion permanent, well managed traveller sites; and, with your mayoral hat on, representing London, to learn the lessons of well managed sites from other parts of the country, where there is very good practice.

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 13 September 2000

Do you believe that the local police station is as important for the survival of local communities as post offices and libraries?

• Question by: Meg Hillier
• Meeting date: 27 July 2000

Could I hazard that possibly there were too many male architects involved and as they are disproportionately designed to suit male anatomy " male bottoms " they are not very comfortable for women. But there is a more serious point. If we are trying to modernise London's Tube system, not only do weary GLA Members and the Mayor sometimes need to sit down on the way home, as you say with the delays there is often more of a need to sit down for a long time on that particular line, but there are also issues for people who are...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 27 July 2000

I don't think any of us would disagree about the importance of greater accessibility for the disabled and I suspect the reality is, isn't it, that in the past these things perhaps haven't been given sufficient attention and it hasn't been a matter of sufficient priority and our group would certainly support giving it greater priority. But can I just come back to one word that you used, Ken, in the course of your answer and that's this: you said you thought that the Jubilee Line had been `deliberately" designed to exclude people in wheelchairs. Was that really a serious...