• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

Are you still broadly in favour of the proposal and the support you gave it during the Election campaign along with myself and, I think, Susan Kramer, and want to take it forward?

• Question by: Andrew Pelling
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

I hope and trust that the Mayor will be aware that his is a vital scheme to brathe life back into the Coulsdon town centre. I quite understand that it is important for us always to be extra cautious abou extra road building. But this is such an important issue to maintain the best quality of environment within the Coulsdon town centre. I am very pleased to hear that the uncertainty that is created by reviewing the matter will shortly be resolved.

• Question by: Victor Anderson
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

Can I confirm that you did also write to the Strategic Rail Authority to express the view on behalf of the Mayoralty on this issue as well.

• Question by: Victor Anderson
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

I think it is extremely important for the credibility of the GLA that we do pursue the issue of Connex South-Central because their services are increasingly unreliable and I think if you wanted to find one thing to prove to Londoners that it was worth having all this set up, it would be to declare war on Connex South-Central and try to prevent them getting their franchise renewed.

• Question by: Victor Anderson
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

That's a very encouraging reply because they meet in secret, they don't publish their minutes and they have given some very strange advice particularly their warm welcome for the Crystal Palace scheme, and it seems to me that they would be much better champions of the heritage which is supposed to be what they are there for, if they were open to public scrutiny and I hope that you will use your powers to nominate people on to this committee to get the situation changed.

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

But the Treasury is going to be key to running this capital city and the Treasury is going to be extremely important in handing over the money we need to improve transport and I'm back to it again, are you actually damaging yourself and this city because of this personal hang-up you have got about your treatment by the Labour Party?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

I think the original quote finished with "and after all, I have given them all jobs". Do you think it is perhaps more because of the way you have been handing out this largesse to many round this table, I think it was a green Darren Johnson who first accepted it and its gone on and on that that might be influencing them in their willingness to go along with you? I just wonder how many members of the Labour Group on this Assembly you believe go along with your statements about the Government in terms of its failures.

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

Are there other people you have approached who you feel have been blocked in taking up their appointments by the Labour Party?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

I hope we can move away from words like scuppering and I hope that you will agree that those concerns that were expressed to you are indeed legitimate and bearing that in mind would you actually consider shelving your plans for Trafalgar Square were it to prove impossible to produce satisfactory solutions to the problems of traffic gridlock that have been predicted by a number of traffic experts and also to the threat of increased anti-social behaviour that we have seen in neighbouring squares like Leicester Square. If you couldn't deal with those problems satisfactorily, would you agree that it...

• Question by: Toby Harris
• Meeting date: 29 June 2000

Well, just as a point of personal explanation, I am deeply touched as always by the Mayor's faith in my abilities to wave magic wands about policing in London and no doubt other matters as well, but I suspect that the policing of this square will be an operational matter for the Metropolitan Police Commissioner rather than the responsibility of the Metropolitan Police Authority or even its Chair.