Subject: Questions to the Mayor

Report Number: 6

Subject: Questions To The Mayor Report of: Executive Director Of Secretariat

552 / 2004 - Funding to Sutton Police Consultative Group Andrew Pelling Why is the funding to Sutton’s Police Consultative Group so modest?

553 / 2004 - PCG Grants to Borough of Andrew Pelling The Borough of Croydon is the most populous borough in London. However, it receives one of the lower PCG grants in Greater London. Why is this?

554 / 2004 - Development of Crystal Palace pool as Olympic venue Andrew Pelling I do appreciate that there are merits in concentrating much of the Olympic activities at one site in East London but what prospects are there for there to be more than just a training facility at Crystal Palace as part of our Olympic bid?

For example, could the 50 metre pool at Crystal Palace be developed so that we have swimming sports events at Crystal Palace for the 2012 Olympics?

555 / 2004 - Cost of footwear for police officers Andrew Pelling Do police officers have to pay for their own footwear that they use on duty? If this is the case, why does this policy apply?

556 / 2004 - Job losses in Croydon Andrew Pelling Two major employers pulled out of Croydon in March 2004. Phillips is leaving Croydon after 70 years, relocating 500 posts. Vodafone has also announced that it is to leave Croydon, taking 630 jobs to the Midlands and the North. This followed the loss of 150 jobs at Direct Line at the end of 2003 and the previous closure of the Paynes Poppets factory on the border of Sutton and Croydon boroughs.

Why do you feel that Croydon is losing so many jobs and what do you feel could be done to assist Croydon in this significant loss of jobs?

557 / 2004 - Drains in Catford Road, SE6 Can Transport for London clear the drains in Catford Road, (under the railway bridge, opposite Ravensbourne Park and in the entrance to Wickes in Catford Road). I understand this is a TfL road but requests so far have gone unheeded. 1 558 / 2004 - Traffic signals at junction of Addington Road and Farleigh Road, Croydon Andrew Pelling Thank you for your answer to my question 344/2004. You stated that the London Road Safety Unit will be undertaking an assessment of the effect on accidents of the new junction layout as soon as practically possible.

May I enquire what kind of time frame is represented by as soon as practically possible?

559 / 2004 - Safety of traffic light controlled junctions between tram and road Andrew Pelling On 3 March there was a collision between a Nissan Micra and a Croydon tram at the traffic light controlled junction between Croydon Tramlink and Oaks Road. The car was thrown a considerable distance and the driver of the car was airlifted to hospital.

On 29 March a van was in collision with a tram at the traffic light controlled crossing between the Croydon Tramlink and Bingham Road, . The van driver was taken to hospital suffering from injuries to his head and knee.

Do you feel that the traffic light controlled junctions between tram and road vehicles are safe?

560 / 2004 - Disposal of "spill" from Inner Relief Road Andrew Pelling To minimise environmental disturbance and damage when building the Coulsdon Inner Relief Road, will it be possible to transport spill using the adjacent railway?

561 / 2004 - Zone 4 Monthly Bus Passes Meg Hillier Please advise me about the rationale of abolishing the zone 4 monthly bus pass. How many people buy bus passes? Has TfL raised any additional revenue from the sale of bus passes by increasing the price from £28.50 to £36.50 for bus passengers who travel solely in zone 4 but now need to buy an all zone bus pass?

562 / 2004 - Bus shelter for bus stop outside Halls Andrew Pelling Is the bus shelter for the bus stop outside Fairfield Halls in Croydon about to be built?

563 / 2004 - Faulty street lights/illuminated signs in Addiscombe Road, Andrew Pelling On a walk down the length of Addiscombe Road in Croydon on 11 April, a constituent noted a total of 26 faulty street lights/illuminated signs. May I enquire about the frequency of TfL inspections for items such as street lights and illuminated signs and also, once such faults are noted, the expected time span for repair of such faults?

2 564 / 2004 - Tramstop Andrew Pelling With the opening of the new Centrale shopping centre in Croydon, the ongoing issue of the proposed Tamworth Road Tramstop has been re-ignited. This was an issue I raised with you in MQT 461/2002, yet nothing has been done to agree to the use of the Tramstop that is currently being built by Centrale’s developers and which would provide a convenient boarding and alighting point for Centrale customers in Tamworth Road. One of the main reasons for this failure is TCL’s insistence that adding in this extra stop would unduly effect Tramlink’s operation and efficiency.

There are a number of options for solving this dispute to the benefit of customers and I wonder if you could comment on which of them you would like to see implemented and how you would go about doing so. Option A would be to simply stop the Trams at the platform anyway. This would take pressure off other stops, such as West Croydon or George Street, and allow time to be saved on other sections of the Croydon loop that could be used to add in Tamworth Road. Option B change Tramlink’s service agreement to reduce the financial risk on reliability targets. At 99.5% reliability it is already the most reliable public transport in London. Option C allows TCL to change route service patterns in order to improve its efficiency. This will need to be undertaken anyway when Tramlink is extended so undertaking this flexibility now would additionally save time later.

565 / 2004 - Bus stop in St. Nicholas Way, Sutton Andrew Pelling There is a bus stop in St. Nicholas Way, Sutton that took a team of up to 18 workmen approximately 15 months to dig out a 30 yard stretch of lay-by and cover it in its entirety by a shelter. Prior to this building work the buses using the stop simply pulled up to allow passengers on and off the bus, therefore meaning that the stop performed exactly the same function as it does now without the extravagance of this shelter and road alteration. How much did this scheme cost and was it really necessary in the first place?

566 / 2004 - Junction of Station Way and High Street, Cheam Andrew Pelling What are TfL’s current intentions regarding proposals to introduce a no right-turn from Station Way to Cheam High Street?

567 / 2004 - Mobile phone cabbies helping to cut crime Andrew Pelling A pilot scheme has recently been running in Bromley whereby taxi drivers are able to text the Police if they see crime being committed. Are you able yet to determine how successful this pilot has been and are there any proposals to extend this scheme out to the rest of London as a means to cut crime?

568 / 2004 - Achievements Diana Johnson What do you consider to be your achievements since 2000 in each London borough?

569 / 2004 - Devolution and Planning Samantha Heath Is it inconsistent for a regionally elected politician, and supposed supporter of devolution, to use her position in the to undermine regional planning policies?

3 570 / 2004 - Housing and Planning Policies Meg Hillier Is the Mayor aware that whilst Simon Hughes is complaining and accusing the Mayor of failing to provide enough new housing in London, Liberal Democrats in Islington and elsewhere are opposing new house building?

571 / 2004 - Key Worker Housing Diana Johnson How will the recent Government announcement of additional assistance for key workers to secure affordable homes assist with the GLA’s housing strategy? 572 / 2004 - Fares Policy Toby Harris When does the Mayor plan to introduce free bus travel for under 18s?

573 / 2004 - SRA Len Duvall What representations has TfL made to the SRA concerning their Kent Franchise proposals ?

574 / 2004 - A2 (Bexley) Noise Reduction Samantha Heath Would the Mayor support the redesignation of the A2 dual carriageway in Bexley as a motorway?

575 / 2004 - Environmental Policy Diana Johnson What contribution has the activity of the Environment Committee had in developing GLA and functional body environment policies?

576 / 2004 - Capital Standard (Enforcement Training) Toby Harris How many borough and functional body officers have so far been trained via the Capital Standard enforcement academy?

577 / 2004 - Royal Parks Constabulary Len Duvall How many officers of the Royal Parks Constabulary are now under the operational command of the MPS? and how many of those are patrolling Greenwich Park ?

578 / 2004 - Police Numbers Samantha Heath How many: a) police officers b) PCSOs c) uniformed security staff d) retired officers engaged in reviewing cold cases e) civil staff involved in investigating crimes or criminal gathering intelligence are there currently, and how many were there in June 2000?

579 / 2004 - Intermediate police rank Jennette Arnold Has any work been done by the MPS on the idea of introducing an intermediate rank between constable and sergeant to enable experienced officers to supervise new officers, probationary constables and PCSOs? 4 580 / 2004 - The London Tram Scheme - Impact on Burgess Park Valerie Shawcross While supporting a new tram for the area residents near Burgess Park are concerned to minimise the impact on the park. What alternatives to the current proposed routing across the park have been examined by TfL and will you release this information into the public domain. 581 / 2004 - EU Funding Jennette Arnold Can the Mayor outline how much EU funding has come to projects in London, via the GLA or functional bodies, since 2000? And on what specific projects this has been spent?

582 / 2004 - Overground Railways - Public Frustration in London Valerie Shawcross I recently hosted a seminar on the future of rail services in South London. It was well attended by users of Clapham High Street, Herne Hill, Loughborough Junction, North Dulwich, Nunhead, Queens Road Peckham, South Bermondsey, Streatham, Sydenham Hill, Tulse Hill and West Norwood stations.

There was broad agreement that the overground rail services in London have lagged behind improvements in other forms of public transport and that greater coordination and integration of services was required. What progress has the Mayor made in his bid to gain greater control over overground rail services in London?

583 / 2004 - East London Line Extension Progress Valerie Shawcross The East London Line Extension is critical for the regeneration of many parts of Lambeth and Southwark. What progress has the Mayor made in securing the go ahead for this scheme south of the river?

584 / 2004 - Keeping Rotherhithe Open Valerie Shawcross What progress has the Mayor and TfL made to secure SRA approval to include upgrades to Rotherhithe Station as part of the East London Line Extension project?

585 / 2004 - New Stops on the ELLX Valerie Shawcross The LDA tells us that they are supportive of the desire to achieve a platform for the East London Line at Brixton. They understand that work is being undertaken by TfL (London Rail Group) in order to assess the technical feasibility and cost of a platform at Loughborough Junction. What progress has been made with this work?

586 / 2004 - London Tram Scheme Valerie Shawcross What are the findings of the study on potential depot sites for the Cross River Tram?

587 / 2004 - Cycle Lanes Valerie Shawcross My constituent Emma Brown has written to me expressing her concerns about the poor quality of cycle lanes in London. She says a lot of the cycle lanes in London are too narrow and they just stop. She praises the cycle facilities on Mint Street, E1, where the cycle lanes are separate from the road and also the cycle network in Bruges.

How many miles of cycle lane improvements and upgrades has the Mayor made during his first 4 years of tenure as Chair of TfL?

5 588 / 2004 - Green ‘Brownfield’ site at Downtown Valerie Shawcross Would the Mayor care to join me and meet residents from the Downtown area of Rotherhithe, so he can hear of their concerns and give his informal views to Southwark’s Council who will determine the planning application?

589 / 2004 - Healthy Living Centre Proposal for Vassall Ward Valerie Shawcross Does the Mayor agree that it would be wise for Lambeth Council to carry out a wide area master planning exercise before they commence the redevelopment and intensification of council properties on the Myatts Fields estate to ensure the provision of community facilities in Vassall Ward?

590 / 2004 - 159 Bus Valerie Shawcross Is the Mayor aware that during the rush hour, it is almost impossible to get on the 159 bus near Kennington Cross? What plans do TfL have for improving this situation?

591 / 2004 - 2004 Pride Meg Hillier I welcome the allocation of £30, 000 towards the 2004 Pride parade, but what is the rationale for giving this sum which is substantially less than some other major London festivals which the Mayor supports. What does the £30, 000 fund?

592 / 2004 - Cleanliness around Stations Meg Hillier When you next meet with Network Rail will you press them to improve the cleanliness around stations?

593 / 2004 - Litter on buses Meg Hillier Have you given any consideration to providing clear bins on buses to reduce litter?

594 / 2004 - Stansted Airport Meg Hillier What discussions are ongoing with National Express about improving links to Stansted Airport?

595 / 2004 - Capital Ring Valerie Shawcross One of my constituents is a keen walker and has now completed all but one section of the Capital ring which she started walking in sections in August 2002. However she has written to me because she has not had a reply from TfL and I would be grateful for an answer to her query. Priscilla writes ' I have waited patiently for Transport for London to reply to my query about the Capital Ring walk. I know they have other things to do, and I find the new buses, and particularly route 148, a great help but if the "authorities" wish to encourage us oldies to walk and keep fit a bit of follow up on lovely new walking routes would not go amiss. Today, I set off from Hackney Wick to complete the circle. The Greenway is a great idea but seems to need some attention and since both lots of toilets in Beckton Park were closed I was very lucky to come upon a friendly fellow-pensioner mowing her lawn who allowed me the use of her facilities. Then, alas, when I reached the entrance lock to Gallions Reach Marina I could go no further. There are contractors’ huts and a fence blocking the way with no signs about the fate of the footpath. This part of the Ring is not signed and the contractors seemed unaware that there is supposed to be a path. In spite of today's disappointments, I am very grateful to those who have developed this walk and made it so easy to use public transport to reach it.

6 596 / 2004 - Travel Zoning Samantha Heath Further to my question 390/2004l are TfL aware that Croydon East Rail Station is in travel zone 6 and that as zone 4 travelcards can be used on the Tramlink, there is an incentive for less well off Croydon passengers to undertake longer than necessary journeys via overcrowded Beckenham Junction and Hayes Line rail services which re in zone 4. Shouldn’t Croydon East be rezoned to relieve congestion on other lines and speed passengers’ journeys?

597 / 2004 - Sporting Successes Meg Hillier Do you support public events to celebrate sporting successes and will you join me in working towards a safe celebration of Arsenal FC’s successes in 2004?

598 / 2004 - Bus stops complying with Disability Discrimination Act Andrew Pelling Could the Mayor please advise when Croydon Council will be supplied with sufficient monies to enable them to complete the installation of bus stops, especially along Red Route A23, so that they are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act?

599 / 2004 - Step Change Andrew Pelling I am surprised that North Cheam ward in Sutton has not received Step Change officers. Can you explain why three wards in the east of the borough have been chosen and why North Cheam was overlooked?

600 / 2004 - 726 Bus Andrew Pelling TfL buses plan to remove the 726 bus route and replace it with an X26 limited stopping route between Heathrow and East Croydon or Bromley North that will only stop at certain local district centres. Currently Cheam is not proposed as one of these district centres. What possibility is there for Cheam to be included on this new express route?

601 / 2004 - 726 Bus Andrew Pelling The new X26 service will continue to only be an hourly service once it replaces the current 726 despite the time saved by its being a limited stopping route. What is the provision for the X26 becoming a half- hourly route in order to provide better service for customers and thus increased usage of public transport?

602 / 2004 - 726 Bus Andrew Pelling What provision is there for a limited number of 726 buses and the current route to be kept in operation after the introduction of the X26 service in order to give passengers, who use the 726 to travel between points that are not planned to be included as X26 stops, the opportunity to travel on public transport without having to change buses? Increased uncertainty for passengers over the time to be taken using the bus created by changing buses is likely to discourage public transport usage.

603 / 2004 - St George's Day Andrew Pelling How much did the cost of the St. George’s day festivities cost in comparison to St. Patrick’s day and why did you feel it necessary to make so much less effort for the patron saints day of the country we live in than for the patron saint of . I know you think St. George was a corrupt official, but do you feel that St. George is less worthy of celebrating than St. Patrick? 7 604 / 2004 - Tfl Customer Care Standards Tony Arbour Could the Mayor please confirm and publish what standards Transport for London is using as it’s Customer Care Standards for replying to letters and complaints and the % and numbers that are meeting or failing to meet these standards?

605 / 2004 - R26 Bus Tony Arbour Could the mayor confirm any actions Tfl are undertaking to improve the service of the R26 Bus?

606 / 2004 - Tfl & Assembly Members Correspondence Tony Arbour Could the Mayor confirm and publish Transport for London’s correspondence answering standards for replying to correspondence from Assembly members and the public for actual answers and also the % of and number of answers that are actually meeting the standard.

607 / 2004 - Cycling Tony Arbour Would the Mayor join me and my fellow cyclists in condemning the intemperate language of Lord Harris of Haringey at the last Assembly meeting attacking cyclists? And also will he request Lord Harris to give his public support to your new cycling strategy? 608 / 2004 - Bus Information Display Systems Tony Arbour What action is the Tfl undertaking to repair the faulty bus stop electronic information systems that are widespread? 609 / 2004 - Bus Review Tony Arbour Could the Mayor confirm the bus review timescale referred to in Question 2306?

610 / 2004 - Planning Departments Tony Arbour How do you propose to "crush" the planning departments of Richmond/Kingston/Hounslow if they get in the way of your policies? (Standard 16/3/04)?

611 / 2004 - Co-operation with Boroughs Tony Arbour Do you believe that your views on planning as set out in the Standard 16/03/04 will encourage co- operation between the Boroughs and the GLA?

612 / 2004 - LDA Investment Tony Arbour How do you justify LDA assistance of just £66,200 to Richmond and £132k to Kingston over the past three years?

613 / 2004 - Step Change in Kingston and Richmond Tony Arbour Could the Mayor confirm which Neighbourhoods of Kingston & Richmond have finally been allocated extra staff under the Step Change Programme? Does the original delay in allocation mean there will be a delay in implementation? What is the timescale for deployment in Kingston & Richmond? 8

614 / 2004 - LDA and Norbiton Tony Arbour Why has the LDA abandoned doing any work in Norbiton Ward of Kingston, when it is highlighted for action in its own strategies? 615 / 2004 - Londoner distribution in Kingston Tony Arbour Considering the amount of money invested in the Londoner could the Mayor confirm what distribution methods are used in the Borough of Richmond, How universal the delivery coverage is, and what checks are made to guarantee the reliability of distribution?

616 / 2004 - Londoner distribution in Hounslow Tony Arbour Considering the amount of money invested in the Londoner could the Mayor confirm what distribution methods are used in the Borough of Hounslow, How universal the delivery coverage is, and what checks are made to guarantees the reliability of distribution?

617 / 2004 - Withdrawn Withdrawn

618 / 2004 - Age Equality Noel Lynch Does the lack of a dedicated age equalities coordinator in the GLA Equalities Team indicate low priority for age equality issues?

619 / 2004 - Older People in the GLA Noel Lynch Are you concerned about the lack of older people working at the GLA? Do you intend to introduce policies for older people similar to those in place to ensure equality of employment for BME groups, people with disabilities and women? 620 / 2004 - Public Toilets at Tube Stations Noel Lynch Are you concerned that only 86 out of 253 stations managed by London Underground have public toilets (answer to MQT 338/2004), given that older people’s groups have identified lack of public toilets as serious deterrent to mobility and inclusion? What is being done to address this problem?

621 / 2004 - Train services in North London Noel Lynch Will you back LTUC call for an improved train service on the WAGN route from Moorgate towards Welwyn and Hertford North, via Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace, given that the existing service does not run to Moorgate at weekends and does not run after 8.35 pm on weekdays? Do you agree with the LTUC that the existing services do not begin to address the needs of passengers..?

622 / 2004 - Thames Gateway London Partnership Board Noel Lynch Are the minutes of the Thames Gateway London Partnership Board publicly accessible? If not can they be made available to Assembly Members?

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623 / 2004 - Thames Gateway Investment Framework Noel Lynch Are you sure there will be sufficient time for proper public consultation on the draft version of the Thames Gateway Development and Investment Framework?

624 / 2004 - Thames Gateway Investment Framework Noel Lynch Will the (eleven) LDA commissioned studies which inform the Thames Gateway Development and Investment Framework be published?

625 / 2004 - Advertising of GLA vacancies Noel Lynch In your response to my question of the 28th January on ethnic recruitment (MQT 31/ 2004) you promised to ‘advertise vacancies in the London Irish, Black, Asian and other minority press’. I am disappointed to discover that recent vacancies have not been advertised in the Irish World or Muslim News. Do you intend to honour this promise?

626 / 2004 - Smaller people Noel Lynch In view of your response to my question of the 28th January (MQT 30/2004) concerning the height of the binoculars outside London’s Living Room, what steps have been taken to ensure that the height of the binoculars does not continue to discriminate against smaller people and those in wheelchairs?

627 / 2004 - Security at City Hall Noel Lynch In this time of heightened fears over terrorist attacks on public buildings are you concerned that cars can drive up to City Hall by driving around the bollards at the entrance from Tooley Street along Potters’ Field? What are you planning to do to eliminate this security risk?

628 / 2004 - Buses Noel Lynch I have observed that many bus drivers do not pull buses over to the kerb when stopping. This causes great difficulty for many people but particularly older people who find to hard to take a big step up and onto the bus. What can you do to ensure that all bus drivers pull over at the kerb?

629 / 2004 - Safety of bicycle messengers Noel Lynch On 23 February 2004, London bicycle messenger Sebastian Lukomski was killed by a collision with a Heavy Goods Vehicle at the junction of Lower Thames Street and Queen Street Place. He is the 7th London bicycle messenger to have died whilst working. All 7 have been killed by collisions with HGVs. The majority of cyclists killed or seriously injured in Central London are involved in collisions with HGVs.

On 19 March the London Bicycle Messenger Association (LBMA), the representative body of London’s bicycle messengers, wrote to the Mayor to ask him to consider various measures, including restricting HGV movements in the Congestion Charge Zone, in an effort to improve safety of London’s bicycle messengers and other cyclists. As of 16 April, no acknowledgement had been received. Can the Mayor acknowledge receipt of the letter and give an indication of when a formal response can be expected?

10 630 / 2004 - Car commuters and East London Crossing Jenny Jones Do you consider it a problem that TfL have increased their predicted cost benefit ratio to 5:1 for the East London River Crossing, mainly through savings in drivers' time? Does this match your previous statements about judging the bridge in terms of regeneration and job creation, rather than the time saved by car driving commuters from the suburbs?

631 / 2004 - Security Measures Lynne Featherstone Can you explain what the "raft of enhanced security measures" requested by the RMT union for the London Underground network were, and whether it is true that these requests, apparently made after both the September 11 and the Madrid bomb attacks, have been ignored? Are you really confident that LUL staff are trained for all eventualities and that they are able to deal with a full-scale emergency?

632 / 2004 - TfL Board Lynne Featherstone Please list the members of the Board of Transport for London with the salaries that each of them is paid.

633 / 2004 - Bob Kiley Lynne Featherstone Please state the amounts that the Transport Commissioner Bob Kiley received as bonuses for the years 2002/03 and 2003/04.

634 / 2004 - Bob Kiley Lynne Featherstone Please set out and explain the criteria on which bonuses were awarded in the years 2002/03 and 2003/04 to the Transport Commissioner Bob Kiley.

635 / 2004 - TfL Evictions Mike Tuffrey Long term residents of TfL owned properties in Madeley Road in Ealing were unexpectedly served eviction notices in September 2003. Since this date their situation has been made worse by TfL prevaricating about the future of the site, leaving residents uncertain about their accommodation? Why didn’t TfL conduct an investigation into the site and a proper analysis of the options before eviction notices were served, so that tenants could have beenspared months of anxiety? When will the future of the properties finally be resolved?

636 / 2004 - Key Workers Living Programme Mike Tuffrey How much funding has been allocated to Greater London under the Key Worker Living Programme funding and how many key workers in London do you expect this to help?

637 / 2004 - Key Workers Living Programme Mike Tuffrey At the beginning of April the Government announced that its £690 million Key Worker Living Programme. Wouldn't you agree that the affordable housing crisis could be tackled more successfully if these funds were invested in building more houses to address the severe shortage of supply, rather than subsidising demand levels to help only a handful of those in need?

11 638 / 2004 - Thames Gateway Community Facilities Mike Tuffrey Whilst the prospect of 90,000 new properties in the London part of the Thames Gateway has been publicised by the LDA, there is little mention of the scale of public services need. How many of the following community facilities do you estimate will be required to provide services to the planned 90,000 homes? A) Hospitals, B) Nurseries, C) Primary schools, D) Secondary schools, E) Police stations, F) Fire stations, G) Libraries, H) Leisure centres

639 / 2004 - Thames Gateway funding Mike Tuffrey How much more funding, than already available, will be required to ensure that the 90,000 houses and all of the essential, accompanying community infrastructure can be built in the London Thames Gateway?

640 / 2004 - London Housing Strategy and the London Plan Mike Tuffrey The present London Housing Strategy (LHS) is based on the Draft London Plan so is already out of date. The Strategy is being revised next year prior to the review of the London Plan figures, which takes place in 2006. This means that the new LHS’ housing provision and monitoring targets will once again be out of sync with the London Plan. Won’t this cause confusion about which is the authoritative document on housing provision and strategy?

641 / 2004 - Culture Strategy Mike Tuffrey Why has it taken four years to publish your Culture Strategy? Isn’t this a case of too little too late?

642 / 2004 - Affordable Housing in Soutwark Mike Tuffrey Do you agree with your Labour colleagues in Southwark who blocked a Liberal Democrat amendment to the UDP which would have secured 50% affordable housing on new residential developments?

643 / 2004 - Affordable housing in Islington Mike Tuffrey Do you agree with your Labour colleagues in Islington who are on record as opposing additional affordable homes as part of the Arsenal Regeneration Project?

644 / 2004 - Real powers for London Graham Tope Why is it at the end of four years in office, that you have made no progress at all in persuading your Labour colleagues in Whitehall that London should be granted real powers for its democratically elected government?

645 / 2004 - Trafalgar Square pedestrian area Sally Hamwee What points would you advise me (as an enthusiast for the pedestrian area which joins the National Gallery to Trafalgar Square) to make to cab drivers who almost invariably criticise the difficulties for traffic, affecting bus as well as taxi passengers, which they say are now worse than before the work was undertaken?

12 646 / 2004 - State of London Debate Sally Hamwee In response to your statutory consultation of the Assembly regarding your proposals for this year's State of London Debate, I explained that many Assembly members considered that the composition of the panel was inappropriately weighted politically by the inclusion of the Chairs of the MPA and LFEPA, and that the issues could be well covered by the commissioners without the chairs. What is your response to the Assembly on this point?

647 / 2004 - TFL Register of Interests Sally Hamwee Is a Register of Interests for TfL Board Members and senior TfL staff available for public inspection, and if so how can it be seen?

648 / 2004 - Outside Consultants working on London Underground projects Sally Hamwee Can you provide me with a list of how many outside consultants appointed since July 2003 are currently working on projects for London Underground, and what these projects are?

649 / 2004 - Cycle training for bus drivers Jenny Jones Could you ask TfL to consider a short spell of cycle training for bus drivers, so that they have some experience of the cyclist's perspective when driving in London?

650 / 2004 - A2 Hole Blackheath Hill Lynne Featherstone Please report on what date the A2 Hole first appeared on the A2 Blackheath Hill, give a detailed account of the work that Transport for London has been carrying out there, including dates for the period Blackheath Hill was closed to traffic, account for the scandalous length of time this work has taken on one of London’s major trunk routes, and explain why the carriageway is still partially obstructed by road works as your Mayoral term comes to an end ?

651 / 2004 - Work on the Blackwall Tunnel Lynne Featherstone For how much longer will drivers crossing the Thames from north to south through the Blackwall Tunnel in the later evening be subject to lengthy tailbacks and interminable delays? Please report on what the date work on the southbound tunnel began, explain why this work is taking such a length of time, and give an informed estimate of when it will finally be completed.

652 / 2004 - Erith Marshes Darren Johnson When is a marsh not a marsh?

653 / 2004 - Southmere Green, Erith Marshes Noel Lynch In April 2003 a letter from the GLA (Biodiversity Team), referring to the Southmere Green site proposed for business park development, stated that '...the Mayor and the GLA do not agree that the majority of the site is not grazing marsh.' Len Duvall was reported recently in the Guardian as saying that Southmere Green is actually a brownfield site. Is the majority of Southmere Green grazing marsh or a brownfield site?

. 13 654 / 2004 - Cycling spectators and the Olympics Jenny Jones Will you give your backing to the London Cycling Campaign's proposals for an active spectator strategy, as part of the Olympic bid? Could this idea of cycling spectators be encouraged in London as part of any discussions held by your planning and transport staff regarding major sporting events and developments?"

655 / 2004 - Issue of Freedom Passes Bob Neill Has the Mayor seen the report to the ALG Transport and Environment Committee dated 23. 03.04 titled Technical Problems with Freedom Pass Reissue 2004? Has the Mayor raised the concerns set out in this report with TfL and the Post Office and what steps have been taken to ensure that the problems, (a) have been resolved this year and (b) do not occur in the future?

656 / 2004 - Issue of Freedom Passes Bob Neill Is the Mayor aware that problems have occurred in the supply of new Freedom Passes from TfL’s contractor Transys? What steps have been taken to rectify this problem?

657 / 2004 - Issue of Freedom Passes Bob Neill Is the Mayor aware that the ALG and some of London Boroughs may seek compensation from TfL for the extra cost incurred in dealing with problems concerning the reissue of Freedom Passes? Will the Mayor instruct TfL also to pay compensation to those pensioners who have suffered loss and inconvenience as a result of these problems?

658 / 2004 - TfL Consultation Angie Bray What is the point in printing several glossy 'consultation toolkit' guides running to over 200 pages when TfL ignore the guidelines contained within?

659 / 2004 - Ambient Noise Strategy Angie Bray Following the publication of his Ambient Noise Strategy is the Mayor aware of the ongoing problem of excessively noisy public announcements at Putney Bridge Railway Station? As his Ambient Noise Strategy states noise at stations can also cause irritation to local occupiers, including poorly designed or operated public address systems and that he will expect Transport for London to minimise the impact of noise at or near stations, what is the Mayor prepared to do to ensure some abatement of the unacceptable level of noise experienced by residents near the Putney Bridge station such as my constituent, Martin Bishop, of Edenhurst Avenue?

660 / 2004 - TfL - Stakeholder Panel Angie Bray In your answer to my question 488/2004 you said TfL are ‘currently in the process of establishing a stakeholder panel, from whom they will seek regular feedback on our consultation performance’. Will the Mayor provide details of the remit of this stakeholder panel, its likely composition, the resources at its disposal, the frequency of its meetings and the terms by which the panel will be judged a success? Will the Panel be specifically asked to review the conduct of the recent Congestion Charge expansion consultation, and report back on the failings in this process that led to some 43% of residents in Kensington and Chelsea not receiving consultation literature and therefore effectively being excluded from the consultation process? 14

661 / 2004 - Expansion of Congestion Charge Zone Angie Bray In your answer to my question 492/2004, you said that to date TfL had received around 85,000 responses to its consultation on the western expansion of the congestion charge zone. Will the Mayor update this figure on responses received. Will he also provide details of the response rate broken down by geographical area and by type of respondent (business or resident). Will the Mayor further indicate the response rate for geographical area and respondent type as a percentage of the number of questionnaires distributed by targeted direct mailing? Does he consider that the responses received to this consultation from the 3.3 million questionnaires delivered provides the level of support he needs to steamroller through his ill-considered plan to extend the congestion charge zone into more of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea? 662 / 2004 - Congestion Charge Zone Angie Bray Notwithstanding the outcome of the consultation on the proposed western extension of the congestion charge zone, will the Mayor commit to resolving the anomaly in the current congestion charge zone that sees residents of the small parcel of land immediately to the left of Vauxhall Bridge Road, between the North Bank of the Thames and Grosvenor Road be forced to park within the zone for properties that are outwith the current congestion charge zone?

663 / 2004 - Expansion of the Congestion Charge Zone Angie Bray Does the Mayor consider it in keeping with best practice principles of consultation that the recent TfL consultation on the western expansion of the Congestion Charging zone makes no mention of the damaging impact of the congestion charge to business located inside the zone, nor that the revenue from the scheme is significantly below that predicted? Does the Mayor further think it in keeping with best practice principles of consultation that the questions posed in the TfL consultation are structured in such a way as to lead respondents to support his plans to extend the zone?

664 / 2004 - TfL Key performance Indicators Angie Bray Does TfL have Key Performance Indicators or similar targets which it is expected to meet in responding to correspondence from Assembly Members? If so, what percentage of Members correspondence is answered within these targets, if not, will the new system the Mayor referred to in his answer to my question 499/2004 include such KPIs and will the Mayor disclose what they are?

665 / 2004 - TfL - Queens Grove/Marlborough Road Angie Bray In your excuses for why TfL has scrapped its plans for road safety improvements in the Queens Grove/Marlborough Road area (500/2004) you said a second consultation was needed to consult further on design options for the proposed improvements. Is this not just another example what Londoner’s now expect from this Mayor: poorly thought through plans, poorly consulted upon. Will he remember also that the result of consultation failures such as that over the Queens Grove/Marlborough Road scheme is not just the wasting of time and money but the endangering of lives of residents as a result of these botched consultations?

15 666 / 2004 - Electronic Media Angie Bray In your answer to my question 502/2004 you said there was ‘no attempt to exclude people from responding to the consultation questionnaire on-line’. Although I don’t wish to suggest the Mayor was wilful or malicious in this, will he agree with me that the frustrations experienced by those Londoners trying to make their views known to him through electronic media provide yet another example of the poorly designed, poorly managed consultations that this Mayor is becoming synonymous with?

667 / 2004 - TfL - Expansion of the Congestion Zone Angie Bray Further to your answer to my question 488/2004 and your declaration that every team responsible for carrying out consultations should use the consultation toolkit, can you explain why TfL failed to follow these guidelines in its consultation on the western expansion of the congestion zone.

668 / 2004 - London Underground: PPP Roger Evans Does the Mayor consider that PPP is delivering value for money for Londoners and does he believe it is safe?

669 / 2004 - London Underground: PPP Roger Evans On a list of the 24 CERNs issued to Infracos during 2003, I notice that Tubelines received a notice about ‘control of safety risks arising from engineering failures of L&Es (lifts and escalators)’. Could the Mayor explain the reason for this order and elaborate on which lines were particularly affected by this order? What progress has been made to rectify this problem and, as of today, does the order still stand?

670 / 2004 - London Underground: PPP Roger Evans Also on the list of 24 CERNs, Tubelines received a notice with the title ‘potential risk during pressure grouting’. Could the Mayor offer us some detail of what is meant by this title and how the situation leading to the CERN was able to arise? What measures have been taken to ensure that this type of incident is never able to happen again?

671 / 2004 - London Underground: PPP Roger Evans Another of the CERNs listed had the title ‘Excavation in proximity to SPL 132kV power cables at Arnos Grove’. This was issued against Tubelines on 31st January 2003. Could the Mayor explain what this title means and how the situation was able to arise? What measures have been taken to ensure that this type of incident is not able to happen again?

672 / 2004 - London Underground: PPP Roger Evans A notice entitled ‘signalling maintenance performance: Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly’ was served on Tubelines on 19th March 2003. Could the Mayor explain what led to this CERN being served and which parts of the lines named were affected by this? What progress has been made in rectifying the problems which led to the CERN being served in the first place and is the Mayor satisfied that this kind of problem will not be able to arise again?

16 673 / 2004 - Sport – London (Heathrow) Youth Games Roger Evans I have recently received an email from a concerned constituent regarding the fact that a number of sports are being cut from the London (Heathrow) Youth Games. These include Olympic sports such as sailing, rowing and horse riding in which Great Britain has had so much success. Would the Mayor support my view that reducing the number of sports included in the London (Heathrow) Youth Games restricts opportunity for London’s talented young sportspeople and poses the risk that we will not find our Olympic champions of the future in sports which are excluded? Moreover, would the Mayor concur that reducing the number of sports competed at the London (Heathrow) Youth Games hardly sends out the right signals at a time when the city is bidding to host the Olympic Games? If so, will the Mayor join me in bringing pressure to bear on London’s Boroughs to persuade them to reverse this short- sighted and incomprehensible decision?

674 / 2004 - Surface transport (fuel consumption) Roger Evans Has TfL conducted any research into how much more fuel is burned, and therefore emissions released, when a vehicle performs a U-turn compared to a 3-point turn? If so, could you give use a summary of the key figures relating to this question?

675 / 2004 - Tourism in London Roger Evans Could the Mayor put an estimated monetary value on the tourism revenue generated for the UK of the following London attractions: i) Palace of Westminster; ii) Buckingham Palace; iii) London Eye; iv) The Tower of London; and v) London taxis? Could you explain the methodology use to calculate these figures?

676 / 2004 - Surface transport (Taxis) Roger Evans Could the Mayor explain why the net amount of ‘all London’ (‘green badge’) London taxi drivers has gone down for the first three quarters of 2003 when taxis are needed to meet demand as London’s population continues to grow?

677 / 2004 - Unlicensed minicabs Roger Evans When will the next Transport Operational Command action on unlicensed minicabs operating in Gants Hill take place?

678 / 2004 - Road works Roger Evans Could the Mayor explain the reason for the road works in the A12 road tunnel at Wanstead?

679 / 2004 - London Underground (Oyster Pre-Pay) Roger Evans Could the Mayor explain why the roll-out of Oyster Pre-Pay on buses and trams, which was scheduled for March, has been delayed?

680 / 2004 - Oyster Card Eric Ollerenshaw How many Oyster Card machines on buses work?

17 681 / 2004 - Oyster Card Eric Ollerenshaw How many Oyster Card machines on buses have had to be modified/repaired since their introduction?

682 / 2004 - Step-Change Eric Ollerenshaw Given the Prime Minister was present at the launch of Step-Change did you get any commitment to future funding?

683 / 2004 - LDA and Heathrow Richard Barnes What advice did the Mayor seek from the London Development Agency before submitting his response to the Governments consultation paper on air transport?

684 / 2004 - London Mela 2004 Richard Barnes What conditions has the Mayor set on his funding given to Ealing Council for the London Mela 2004?

685 / 2004 - Heathrow expansion Richard Barnes What does the Mayor believe should be the deciding factor in examining the case for further expansion of Heathrow - environmental or economic concerns?

686 / 2004 - Roads suitable for bus route Richard Barnes What criteria are in use by TfL to determine if a residential road is suitable for use as a bus route?

687 / 2004 - Bus route consultation Richard Barnes What consultation procedures are TfL required to undertake with a) local authorities b) residents in regards to the introduction or extension of bus routes into their locality?

688 / 2004 - Bus route closues Richard Barnes How many new or extended bus routes have been closed because of insufficient passenger numbers?

689 / 2004 - Bus route criteria Richard Barnes What criteria are used to determine the success or failure of a new or extended bus route?

690 / 2004 - U1 bus route Richard Barnes Will the Mayor, as Chairman of TfL, undertake to review the proposed extension of the U1 bus routes into residential roads in South Ruislip following complaints to TfL from local residents about the unsuitability of these roads to handle large single-deck busses?

18 691 / 2004 - Fly posting Richard Barnes What steps has the Mayor taken in relation to tackling the problem of fly posting in London?

692 / 2004 - Billboard advertising Richard Barnes What is the Mayors policy in regards to the erection of billboard advertising sites in the capital?

693 / 2004 - Cost of Investing for the future” Richard Barnes How many copies of Investing for the future: the West London Tram were produced by TfL and what was the total cost of their production and distribution?

694 / 2004 - Fencing along Gunnersbury Richard Barnes Why is TfL installing fencing alongside the grass verge on Gunnersbury Avenue in Ealing against the wishes of local residents who claim that it represents a danger to them manoeuvring their cars in/out of their property?

695 / 2004 - Oystercard deposit Richard Barnes Why should a £3 deposit be paid for a weekly travel card using Oystercard, which is lost if the Oystercard is lost/misplaced, whereas the same is not applicable for monthly or annual travelcards using Oystercard?

696 / 2004 - Ealing Contribution to WLT Richard Barnes What will the £700,000 given by Ealing Council towards the West London Tram Project be specifically used for?

697 / 2004 - Refund of Ealing Contribution Richard Barnes Should the West London Tram project not go ahead, will the TfL refund the money provided by Ealing Council towards the project?

698 / 2004 - Barnet FC Brian Coleman Does the Mayor support the construction of a new stadium for Barnet FC that stretches outside its present blueprint at the Underhill site?

699 / 2004 - LDA Funding Brian Coleman In light of the fact that Barnet Council received just £1.5million in 4 years from the LDA, does the Mayor believe that LDA grants are being distributed fairly across London?

700 / 2004 - Cycle Funding Brian Coleman Does the Mayor accept that his claim that Barnet has reduced its funding of cycle safety programmes is incorrect, and that it was Tfl who awarded £20,000 less than the bid the council submitted? 19

701 / 2004 - TfL Funding of Barnet Council Brian Coleman Does the Mayor accept that Barnet Council’s road policy, was arrived at democratically, and that it is being implemented by a professional independent team of Highways Officers?

702 / 2004 - Traffic Management Bill Brian Coleman Does the Mayor agree that in light of the Traffic Management Bill which will require boroughs to keep traffic moving on their main roads, that Barnet Council’s common sense traffic policy is in line with this forthcoming legislation?

703 / 2004 - Barnet Council Safety Record Brian Coleman Would the Mayor reconsider his view of Barnet Council’s Traffic Management policy in light of the latest statistics from his own London Road Safety Unit which shows in the first 9 months of 2003 Barnet reduced its traffic accidents by 13% compared to a decrease across London of 5%?

704 / 2004 - Bus lanes and burden of proof Jenny Jones Do you agree that when a vehicle is travelling in a bus lane at times when they are legally excluded, then the burden of proof in any subsequent police investigation of a collision involving a bus, taxi, or cyclist, should be firmly with the offending motorist?

705 / 2004 - Traffic Policing Jenny Jones I'm sure that you welcome the police carrying out high profile operations against speeding drivers, with the focus upon education rather than prosecution. Are you as surprised as I am that in a recent operation in Haringey, the police only stopped drivers doing in excess of 40mph? Can you give an assurance that the mobile speed cameras operated by the London Camera Partnership at identified hotspots, are now applying the ACPO guidelines and prosecuting all drivers going above 35 mph?

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