• Reference: 2011/0552
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 380/2011 you state that you are 'concerned at the highest personal tax rate of 50p in the pound' and that, as a result, 'we may be asking too much, not just of financial services employees but other wealth creators'. However, in answer to Written Question 388/2011 you state that the after-tax monthly income of someone earning just below £150,001 a year (and therefore not paying the 50p rate) is £8123.37. Why do you spend so much time arguing on behalf of people whose take home pay is more than 37% of the average Londoner's pre-tax...

• Reference: 2011/0551
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 379/2011 you stated that 'London is already a very diversified economy'. However, in your 2009 'Rising to the Challenge: Proposals for the Mayor's Economic Development Strategy for London' document you openly admit that, while financial services represents 'a low and remarkably stable proportion' of London's working population, you openly acknowledge that it 'consumes a large proportion of the output of other important sectors in the London economy - 36% of the creative industries' business to business sales, 37% of business to business sales from the professional services sector, and 58% of business to business sales...

• Reference: 2011/0550
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 378/2011, you said that 'I welcome regulatory measures being in put in place now to ensure that' the ability of the financial services to destabilise the broader economy 'is prevented in future'. What regulatory measures have the government and are you absolutely confident that they will prevent another 2008-style systemic failure?

• Reference: 2011/0549
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 377/2011, in which I asked you whether you would support comprehensive anti-tax avoidance legislation in exchange for a reduction in the 50p top rate of tax, you stated 'I would certainly want to think about it'. Have you had a chance to reflect on this question and, if so, what are your feelings on the matter?

• Reference: 2011/0548
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 369/2011 you said that 'all Council Taxpayers will benefit from the freeze, not just the wealthiest households'. Making the generally accurate assumption that the wealthiest people in London live in the largest properties, your precept freeze benefits London's wealthiest the most, doesn't it?

• Reference: 2011/0547
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 365/2011 in which I asked whether you could 'provide me with some evidence demonstrating that the introduction of anti-avoidance legislation would not have the effect of increasing tax revenues for investment in public services', you responded that you 'will not be undertaking research myself into this matter given my other priorities'. If the costs to Londoners of tax evasion and corporate tax avoidance are such little interest, why is the subject of lower tax rates such a high priority for you?

• Reference: 2011/0546
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

In answer to Written Question 365/2011 you said that 'tax policy - particularly its detail - is not a matter for the Mayor of London but for Government'. How does this assertion marry with the hours of interview time and hundreds of column inches you have dedicated to attacking the 50p top rate of income tax?

• Reference: 2011/0545
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

I was recently contacted by a constituent and small business owner from Plumstead, who was concerned about the cost of upgrading his vehicles ahead of the reintroduction of the Low Emission Zone. Have you put in place any transitional arrangements for small and medium sized enterprises who need to upgrade their fleet of vehicles following the introduction of the Low Emission Zone from 2012?

• Reference: 2011/0544
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

Has TfL ever investigated the possibility of allowing disabled passengers with specially adapted cars to use bus lanes and, if so, what are the barriers to this?

• Reference: 2011/0543
• Question by: Len Duvall OBE
• Meeting date: 23 February 2011

Did bus companies that owned/leased 'bendy-buses' absorb the cost of TfL decommissioning them at your instruction, or has the cost of deecommissioning been absorbed by fare increases?