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• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 04 November 2015

Roger Evans AM: I would like to return to the debate about building links with the Indian market here in London. Recently I spoke at the World Hindu Economic Forum and also at Diwali in the Square and I was struck on both of those occasions by the size and the enthusiasm of London’s population of Hindus and Sikhs with Indian roots. What is L&P doing to use that enthusiasm and those existing links to benefit the city and to encourage more development?

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 04 November 2015

Andrew Boff AM: It is only to follow on from what my colleague Roger Evans [AM] was saying. By 2040, the young population of Africa will dwarf that of China and India. I want to know what it is L&P is doing to recognise the consequential increase in economic activity that there is taking place in sub-Saharan Africa and how we are going to seize those opportunities as the major trading capital of the world?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 04 November 2015

Tony Arbour AM (Deputy Chairman in the Chair): Assembly Member Arnold? Jennette Arnold OBE AM Yes, thank you, Deputy Chairman. My question is to both of our guests. I think we can all agree that having high-quality infrastructure - be that a transport network, housing or power systems - are vitally important in attracting trade and investment to London. Have any stakeholders raised concerns with L&P regarding broadband connectivity in London? I raise this question as London’s infrastructure has been called a national disgrace. Indeed, the Federation of Small Businesses published a report in August 2014 - I do not...

• Question by: Onkar Sahota
• Meeting date: 04 November 2015

Dr Onkar Sahota AM: This is going to be for Sir Edward and also Gordon. One of L&P’s key priorities going forward is to help London firms gain more export contracts through joined-up trade, investment activities and overseas trade missions. What added value does L&P bring to securing exports in what is already a crowded field with UKTI and the City [of London] Corporation performing similar roles? Where do you add value when there is already a crowded field there?

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 04 November 2015

Nicky Gavron AM: We learn - mainly from the international press, I have to say - that the Royal Albert Dock is due to become a third financial centre for London for primarily Asian, particularly Chinese, business. I would like to ask you if you could give us an update on how that is going. Maybe there has been a recent announcement but it looked as though the financing was in difficulty.

• Reference: 2015/0421
• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 06 February 2015

Could you set out the aims and objectives of the Draft Further Alterations to the London Plan document as laid before the Assembly, and how the Alterations address the issues raised by the Inspector and the Assembly and the changes to national policy?

• Question by: Stephen Knight
• Meeting date: 06 February 2015

Stephen Knight AM: We have already heard a little bit about the issues of housing supply and the deficiencies in the Plan and so I will not repeat some of what has been said. However, it is clear that the inspector was willing to sign off this plan really only on the basis that there would be a further review to address the issues before 2016. I noticed in the response that the Mayor has made to the inspector - or it may have been to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) - that a review is already...

• Question by: Fiona Twycross
• Meeting date: 06 February 2015

Fiona Twycross AM: I am going to shift the question a little bit away from housing. Obviously, we all recognise the need for housing, but there is a danger that we create a false dichotomy between the use of land for housing and the use of land for other purposes. Does the Plan recognise and deal with the tension between the need to provide land for housing and the need for all other uses including employment and infrastructure?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 06 February 2015

Jenny Jones AM: On this substantive issue, I am very concerned that you are actually releasing too much industrial land because the vacancy rate on industrial land has actually halved in the past 15 years and is now lower than retail vacancies. I am concerned that you are talking about surplus land when, actually, it is not surplus because small businesses still need to be near centres of population and they still need to be near town centres. I just wonder how much research you have done on this.

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 06 February 2015

Steve O’Connell AM: First of all, I would like to thank you, Sir Edward, and your officers for the work involved in bringing forward these alterations. I note your continuing protection of the environment and green spaces and I am encouraged by your comments around self-build. I know my colleague Andrew [Boff AM] will turn to the housing question a little bit later. I would like to pick up on two points, one around parking standards and another around the first time that community pubs have been commented on in the London Plan. On the parking standards, I noticed that...