Subject: Questions To The Mayor Report Number: 4 Report to: London Assembly Date: 14/09/05 Report of: Director Of Secretariat 1555 / 2005 - Crossrail Jenny Jones Are you concerned that Crossrail will stimulate long distance commuting to the City from counties to the West of London and generate new pressures for housing developments in these rural localities? * 1556 / 2005 - Crossrail use of Eurostar Depot Jenny Jones Has the Crossrail team considered using the soon to be redundant Eurostar depot at North Pole (west of Paddington) or depot facilities at Oak Common (if the Heathrow Express moved to North Pole) as an alternative to the proposed depot at Romford, which is meeting considerable local opposition? * 1557 / 2005 - Crossrail Jenny Jones The Crossrail Bill provides for no significant new capacity on existing parts of the rail network (Maidenhead/Paddington and Shenfield/Liverpool St) which are close to capacity now (with only 2 tracks in each direction). A joint representation on the Bill from the rail industry, including freight operators and the Rail Freight Group, says that Crossrail represents a great threat to existing passenger and freight services in technically giving primacy to Crossrail over other services. Do you agree that if rail freight is to be protected and expanded the only long term solution is to provide additional tracks where possible , and that, the current Crossrail Bill poses a threat to rail freight and existing passenger services, by giving Crossrail control of one set of tracks? * 1558 / 2005 - Crossrail and Allotments Darren Johnson Given that Great Western Allotments next to the Shambles Sports Field north of Acton Main Line and the allotments at Noel Road have both been referred to as potential construction/storage sites for Crossrail, and given your stated support for the protection of allotment sites, will you intervene to find more appropriate alternative sites? * 1559 / 2005 - Chernobyl Darren Johnson Will you agree to host the Spring 2006 joint UK and Irish nuclear free local authorities conference on the theme of ‘Chernobyl 20 Years On’ at City Hall? * 1560 / 2005 - Bus journey times Darren Johnson Does TfL’s monitoring show whether bus journey times in the New Cross area have got better or worse in recent months? * 1561 / 2005 - Dr al-Qaradawi Darren Johnson What is your response to reports that Dr al-Qaradawi has called for Crown Prince Tameem Bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar to be stoned to death after he was spotted at the London gay night club, G.A.Y? Do you think it is ever acceptable that anyone should call for people to be stoned to death for visiting night clubs and is it ever possible to have rational dialogue with anyone who holds such barking mad views? * 1562 / 2005 - Road safety in Hounslow Jenny Jones Have Hounslow Council put in a bid to TfL for a pedestrian crossing outside Feltham Hill Infants School on Bedfont Road? * 1563 / 2005 - Road safety in Redbridge Jenny Jones Are you aware of the serious rat-running problems along Redbridge Lane West as traffic diverts away from the A12/M11 link road? Is TfL doing anything to address this problem? * 1564 / 2005 - Boroughs and local road safety Jenny Jones Are you concerned that boroughs (such as Hounslow and Redbridge) are frequently ignoring requests from local residents for road safety and traffic calming measures and failing to submit bids for funds to TfL for measures to address the problems? * 1565 / 2005 - Redbridge infrastructure Jenny Jones How will Redbridge’s public services and infrastructure cope with the expected large increase of housing in the Borough? * 1566 / 2005 - London Cycle Network, Battersea Darren Johnson Will you ask TfL to carry out an immediate review of the work currently being undertaken on the LCN+ route along Queenstown Road in Battersea, following objections from local cyclists that pinchpoints have been created that are dangerous for cyclists and, moreover, that the work has been undertaken without any consultation with local cyclists or through the CRISP negotiations and that the established guidelines for the design of cycle routes not been observed? * 1567 / 2005 - Pest control Darren Johnson Was it sensible for Barnet to scrap its pest control service? In view of the fact that vermin tend not to be aware of borough boundaries does this have wider environmental and public health implications for London? * 1568 / 2005 - Trafalgar Square ‘ steel bands Darren Johnson Can you reconsider your decision to charge the British Association of Steel Bands for using Trafalgar Square for the “Pan in Trafalgar Square” steel band events, as the organisers say that the prohibitive cost of hiring the square has meant they will not be able to host any more events here? * 1569 / 2005 - Hackney Allotments Darren Johnson The Manor Gardens Allotments in Hackney face closure because of the Olympics development. Will you intervene to explore alternatives which could safeguard the future of this site? * 1570 / 2005 - Recycling targets Darren Johnson Given that London currently has a recycling rate of 13% and the Government’s statutory target is for 25% by 2005, when do you think we will actually meet this target? * 1571 / 2005 - Olympics park and ride sites Darren Johnson Will the brief for the Olympics park and ride facilities specify the use of previously developed/ brownfield sites and rule out the use of green space? * 1572 / 2005 - London Gateway (Shell Haven) container port: freight routes Darren Johnson This container port is likely to be approved by government provided road capacity in the region is increased. The same money could fund rail upgrades to provide sufficient freight capacity between the port and main national freight routes. Do you agree that money should be spent on rail, not roads, to avoid extra heavy lorry traffic, extra pollution and serious climate change impact? Will you make the case for this to government? * 1573 / 2005 - Thames Gateway Bridge Darren Johnson Will traffic levels rise in the Thames Gateway area as a result of the Thames Gateway Bridge? * 1574 / 2005 - Street markets Jenny Jones Does you agree that London’s street markets, such as Queen’s Market in Newham, provide retail diversity, encourage informal social interaction, offer easy access to open public spaces, help to integrate diverse populations around an unrestricted focal point, preserve the character of the areas they serve, and, due to low rents, allow small retailers to run profitable businesses? If so, what action are you prepared to take to protect London’s markets from being replaced by sanitised, confined and much less integrated alternatives? * 1575 / 2005 – Queen’s Market, Newham Jenny Jones Queen’s Market is a lifeline for poor communities with strong culinary traditions who need easy access to high-quality, fresh ingredients at affordable prices. Do you agree that replacing this market with an American style `market-in-a-mall’ and an ASDA superstore could be regarded as a cultural assault on Newham’s large multi-ethnic community? * 1576 / 2005 - Arms Fair Jenny Jones Should public subsidies be withdrawn from arms fairs? * 1577 / 2005 - Shoot to kill policy guidelines Jenny Jones Do you agree that Londoners deserve to be made fully aware of the circumstances in which the Met’s shoot to kill policy will be applied, through the publication of the guidelines? Do you also agree that the policy and guidelines should be subject to public scrutiny and full debate? * 1578 / 2005 - Cycle parking Jenny Jones In view of the substantial growth in cycling in London and the Mayoral target of trebling cycling levels from their 2000 level does the Mayor agree that the allocation of funding for cycle parking should be increased? What are the current figures for planned increases in allocations in the next five years? Can the Mayor also state what incentives or requirements he would consider for small businesses, retailers, developers and employers to install cycle parking at their premises? * 1579 / 2005 - Cycling on Blackfriars Bridge Jenny Jones What percentage of cyclists does TfL believe will use the proposed cycle track on Blackfriars Bridge as opposed to staying on the carriageway as at present? Is TfL aware that cyclists using the track will be delayed by up to a minute and a half as compared to staying on the carriageway? Is TfL aware that its recently published London Cycling Design Standards states that cycle facilities that cause disbenefits to cyclists such as a loss of priority or time penalties should not be introduced as “TfL Research confirms such facilities remain unused and the investment has been wasted.” * 1580 / 2005 - Pelican Crossings Jenny Jones Could the Mayor explain why many consultation publications are describing the conversion of zebra crossings to pelican crossings as pedestrian improvements? Surely this costly measure takes priority away from pedestrians as they usually have to wait to cross the road? Has there been any research into pedestrian views or will there be? Is the Mayor aware that this measure is bad for and discourages cycling since it increases unnecessary stopping chances which greatly increases the effort needed for cycling? Does conversion of crossings also not increase delays to all drivers, detract from the street scene and encourage speeding by drivers seeking to get through on green? * 1581 / 2005 - Bikes on rail Jenny Jones Is there anything the TfL rail team can do to achieve a pro-bike policy on London’s rail system? Can TfL seek clarification from the rail companies that folding bikes are acceptable at all times and that such bikes can be wheeled onto the station platforms at all the major London interchanges? * 1582 / 2005 - Building on floodplains Darren Johnson Has the devastation in New Orleans caused you to reassess plans for building on high risk flooding areas in Thames Gateway? * 1583 / 2005 - City Hall ‘ water saving Darren Johnson Will you be backing the installation of water saving technology in City Hall in order that the GLA can join the House of Lords in leading the way by, for example, retro-fitting the existing urinal bowls with water saving devices? * 1584 / 2005 - Standards Board for England Damian Hockney Does the Mayor agree with One London that the Standards Board for England should not allow itself to be used as a weapon by those who wish to deny freedom of speech to their political opponents? * 1585 / 2005 - Parking “Discounts” Damian Hockney Recently, Westminster Council announced a policy of encouraging shoppers back to central London by offering discounted rates on parking spaces at weekends. As parking is free in parking bays and on single yellow lines at weekends, do you agree that this is not a discount at all, but merely a way of increasing revenue for Westminster Council’s car parks? * 1586 / 2005 - TfL advertising hoardings Peter Hulme Cross What proportion of TfL advertising hoardings are reserved for GLA family use? * 1587 / 2005 - London Deficit Peter Hulme Cross Five years ago, you told the CBI that you were a ‘London nationalist’ who would lead the campaign to reduce London’s subsidy to the exchequer and get extra money for London. Today, according to the London Chamber of Commerce, the gap between what London pays in taxes and what it receives in funding would appear to be as great as ever. Can you tell us what actions you have taken to recover this money over the past five years? * 1588 / 2005 - London House Peter Hulme Cross The Mayor’s answer to question 1424/2005 states that there is no contradiction between serving London’s interests and ignoring the views of non-GLA stakeholders. Was this a mistake, or is he seriously stating that London House should not represent the views of London businesses, voluntary groups and other organisations who may be adversely affected by European legislation? * 1589 / 2005 - One London campaign Damian Hockney Please can the Mayor supply figures for the amount that was spent directly by the GLA on its recent One London Campaign, and also the amounts, both cash and notional, donated by other organisations. * 1590 / 2005 - Arrest of Countryside Alliance demonstrators Damian Hockney Countryside Alliance demonstrators have alleged that, after complaining to the Independent Police Complaints Commission about police treatment during the demonstration in Parliament Square, they were arrested. They had not been arrested on the day of the demonstration and they are under the impression that they are being victimised for making a complaint. Does the Mayor agree that this issue raises concerns about the independence of the complaints process and its airing might discourage people in other situations from making a complaint? Can you provide us with the numbers of people charged after the CA demonstration immediately, within the month and after they had complained to the IPCC? * 1591 / 2005 - Tube consultation Andrew Pelling What has been the result of the consultation that closed on April 22 2005 on commencing tube services an hour later on Saturdays and Sundays ? Clearly such a proposal is disadvantageous to Croydon from where trains run 24 hours a day to central London. Please provide the results including number of responses and % share for each response for questions 1A to 4A on the consultation entitled ‘Should the Tube run later at the weekend ?’ * 1592 / 2005 - Improving public transport access in King Henry’s Drive, New Addington Andrew Pelling Would the Mayor give very serious consideration to the installation of an additional Request Stop between the last two Request Stops that provide for eastward travel along King Henry’s Drive, before the junction with Lodge Lane in New Addington. There is a very substantial topographical fall and rise in the road which makes it very difficult for the less ambulant and the elderly to have access to public transport in what is a less privileged community. Could off-road mettled lay-byes assist in the provision of this improved access to public transport? * 1593 / 2005 - LDA initiatives in Croydon. Andrew Pelling A senior board member of the LDA before the last GLA election announced in Croydon that Croydon had the very best prospects of being at the centre one of the LDA’s creative hub initiatives. Now, I understand that these prospects have become very dim indeed. What went wrong? * 1594 / 2005 - Mopeds. Andrew Pelling Please could you advise as to the number of mopeds and gopeds that each command has seized under the Police Reform Act S5.9 during the calendar year to date? * 1595 / 2005 - Olympics. Andrew Pelling What expenditures were made by the GLA family on promoting the successful London 2012 Olympic bid ? * 1596 / 2005 - Olympics. Andrew Pelling What expenditures are likely to be made by the GLA family on delivering a successful London 2012 Olympics ? * 1597 / 2005 - Bus noise emissions Andrew Pelling What action has TfL been able to take to reduce the amount of noise emitted by London’s buses. * 1598 / 2005 - Bus noise emissions Andrew Pelling Please give an estimate on the average age of buses on London’s bus network compared to the average age when TfL was set up. * 1599 / 2005 - Centrale Tram stop. Andrew Pelling It appears that no further progress has been made in securing the opening of the Centrale Tram stop on the Croydon tram system. I am sure that you as Mayor share my frustration at the continuing delays and I would be most grateful if you could advise as to what is holding things up and when you intend that the stopping service at Centrale Tram stop will start. * 1600 / 2005 - Tube passenger figures & revenue Andrew Pelling Please provide an update on bus and underground ridership figures sine the 7/7 outrages as compared to patronage last year. Please also provide the change in farebox revenue on buses and Underground against predicted revenue in £ millions in July and August? * 1601 / 2005 - Remembrance Service Brian Coleman Do you think it would be appropriate for the families of the London bombers to attend the Nov 1 Remembrance service at St Paul’s Cathedral? * 1602 / 2005 - Oyster Card Sales Points Tony Arbour Could the Mayor update us on the progress in getting Oyster Card sales points at Mainline stations especially as Tfl is now advertising at Stations such as Leatherhead the sales of Oyster cards? * 1603 / 2005 - DLR Lifts Roger Evans What was the percentage of lifts out of service on the DLR for each month since December 2004? What action is being taken to improve lift reliability? * 1604 / 2005 - Road Safety Outside Highgate Tube Station Roger Evans What steps are TFL taking to improve road safety following the recent fatality in Archway Road, at the exit to Highgate Station? * 1605 / 2005 - Under 16s Free Travel: Revocation of Passes Roger Evans You have assured Londoners that young people who conduct themselves in an unlawful or threatening manner whilst on public transport will have their passes revoked. How will TFL identify these individuals and what procedure will be followed? Will this sanction also apply to behaviour outside the public transport network? * 1606 / 2005 - Under 16s Free Travel: Entitlement Roger Evans Are young people living outside the Greater London boundary entitled to free travel? * 1607 / 2005 - Pushchairs on Buses Roger Evans What steps are being taken by TFL to encourage passengers to fold pushchairs whilst on buses? * 1608 / 2005 - Kids Swim For Free Roger Evans Which boroughs are currently included in the free swimming initiative? Do you have plans to extend this to other boroughs whose council taxpayers are funding the scheme? * 1609 / 2005 - Housing Allocations Tony Arbour Did you have any discussions with the Housing Minister, Baroness Andrews with regards to the allocation to London? * 1610 / 2005 - Housing Targets Tony Arbour Do you think the figure of £842m is adequate to achieve your housing targets for London? * 1611 / 2005 - Housing allocations Tony Arbour Will you be dividing London’s allocations to the Boroughs and what criteria will you be using? * 1612 / 2005 - CCTV on tube trains Roger Evans London Underground has stated that for “security reasons” it cannot say how many CCTV cameras there are on Tube trains. Why is this, when figures for CCTV cameras on London’s buses are widely available? If figures can be divulged, can you tell me how many Tube trains are fitted with CCTV cameras - and what proportion of the entire Tube train fleet this represents? How many trains - and what proportion of the entire Tube train fleet - have CCTV cameras in every carriage? At any one time how many of these cameras are faulty or are not recording? Are they designed to ‘roll’ and ‘record’ all the time, if not, why not? For how long are recordings kept? Are there any rules or regulations that prevent trains from leaving the depot if their CCTV cameras are not working, and if not, why not? If, for “security reasons” it is not possible to provide exact figures for the above questions, please at least answer them in terms of ‘proportions’ of the entire Tube trains fleet. * 1613 / 2005 - Visit London Angie Bray How much GLA Money is provided to fund Visit London? * 1614 / 2005 - Visit London Angie Bray How many people are employed by Visit London? * 1615 / 2005 - Visit London Angie Bray What was the cost of staffing Visit London in the last 12 months? * 1616 / 2005 - Visit London Angie Bray What was the cost of staffing Visit London in the last 12 months? * 1617 / 2005 - Visit London Angie Bray What targets are set for Visit London each year, and how are outcomes monitored? * 1618 / 2005 - Visit London Angie Bray Have Visit London put together a co-ordinated response to combat any negative impact from the July bombings? If not why not? * 1619 / 2005 - River Bus Service Angie Bray In view of the severe disruption to the District Line caused by recent events and the fact that it is clear that this line is struggling to cope at full capacity even during normal service, would the Mayor consider an evaluation of a river bus service for commuters travelling from areas such as Fulham, Richmond and others west of Chelsea, to the Canary Wharf area? * 1620 / 2005 - Western Extension of Congestion Charge Angie Bray My postbag contains numerous letters from constituents who are anxious that the boundaries and special exemption zones of the proposed Western Extension will, in effect, cut them off from everyday facilities that they rely on. These include schools, shops, doctors and hospitals. I am sure that many similar comments will have been received by Transport for London during the consultation period. Will the Mayor give an undertaking that, after the consultation results are announced and if he decides that the extension is to go ahead, he will look at the arrangements for qualification for special discount so that those outside the proposed zones can be considered for discount in particular circumstances? * 1621 / 2005 – Earl’s Court Station Angie Bray Is the Mayor aware of the excessive noise caused by public announcements, screeching trains and excessive sounding of lift alarms at Earl’s Court Station? Between August 2004 when the PA system was commissioned and June 2005, 16 individual complaints about over-loud announcements had been received by the authorities. In his Ambient Noise Strategy, the Mayor states that noise at stations can also cause irritation to local occupiers. In view of this, and the fact that noise of one sort of another from this station had been disrupting the lives of local residents for several years before the installation of the new, unimproved system, what is the Mayor prepared to do to ensure that proper monitoring and maintenance of alarms, PA systems and rails is immediately carried out at this station to alleviate their suffering? * 1622 / 2005 - CCTV Richard Barnes On August 8, 2005 The Times reported (Obsolete CCTV units ‘put London in danger’) that a leading security expert warns London faces a “security nightmare” after Government officials said there were no plans to fund improvements in the capital’s aging CCTV network - despite the fact that CCTV has been invaluable in the bombing investigations and despite the fact that much of the capital’s network is getting old and needs replacing. i) Has an assessment of the CCTV network in London been carried out recently, and if so, will you make the findings available to the Assembly? ii) Do you agree with the assessment in the article, that much of the CCTV network in London is in need of upgrading and in some cases replacing? iii) Have you raised the issue of funding improvements to the CCTV network within London with the Government and if so, what was the outcome? Have they agreed to any funding for CCTV cameras in London and if not why not? iv) Do you believe that greater CCTV coverage is required in London? v) Do you think that Boroughs should do more to use the existing CCTV network to combat criminal activity? * 1623 / 2005 - London Resilience Richard Barnes What was discussed at the London Resilience Forum on 23rd June 2005? * 1624 / 2005 - West London Tram Richard Barnes Will Acton High Street between Steyne Road and Market Place be closed as part of the West London Tram project? * 1625 / 2005 - CCTV at Railway stations Richard Barnes Would the Mayor support the linking of CCTV cameras at railway and underground stations o the Ealing Control Centre/CAD Room to promote a central response to public safety in the London Borough of Ealing? * 1626 / 2005 - Kensington Road Richard Barnes On 27th June 2005 London Buses wrote to the residents of 33 Kensington Road, Northolt expressing its intent in accordance with the requirement of Section 64 of the London Passenger Transport Act 1937 to erect a bus shelter outside their property. This bus shelter was erected outside the property on 24th June 2005 prior the letter from London Buses and has caused great concern to the residents living nearby due to the proximity to another bus stop, positioning close to the crest of a hill and the obstruction caused to driveways when buses stop. Will the Mayor ask Transport for London to urgently look into this case and advise why residents were not consulted prior to the erection of the bus shelter and confirm why bus stops on the road have been positioned in such close proximity to each other? * 1627 / 2005 - Ealing Street Richard Barnes Given your answer to questions 1312/2005, will the Mayor provide the group Save Ealing’s Street with financial support to assist in their preparations for the public inquiry into the West London Tram? * 1628 / 2005 - Empty Homes Tony Arbour Do you agree with the Deputy Prime Minster’s new proposals to seize private homes if they have been empty for 6 months or more? * 1629 / 2005 - Empty Homes Tony Arbour Has the Deputy Prime Minister consulted you over these proposals? * 1630 / 2005 - Empty Homes Tony Arbour Do you think it is appropriate for people who own their own property who may choose to go abroad for 6 months to have to face the possibility of having their homes seized by the local authority? * 1631 / 2005 - Empty Homes Tony Arbour Do you think it is appropriate in the situation where a owner has died that their relatives should have to fear the home being seized by the local authority if they do not let or sell the home within 6 months? * 1632 / 2005 - London Weather Centre Angie Bray Is the Mayor aware of proposals to close the London Weather Centre and transfer all its operations to the new national weather centre in Exeter and if so what is his view on this matter? Will he join me in voicing his opposition to this move and undertake to do whatever he can to ensure it does not happen? * 1633 / 2005 - Traffic Noise A2, Bexley Bob Neill Why has the planned traffic noise action plan for the TfL Road Network not yet been completed? When is it now expected to be complete? * 1634 / 2005 - Traffic Noise A2, Bexley Bob Neill How many measurements of traffic noise generated at the A2 have been taken in Rochester Drive and Gravel Hill Close, Bexleyheath over the last 12 months? What were the results and how did these compare with the previous 12 months? What plans are there for future monitoring of noise levels at these locations? * 1635 / 2005 - Congestion Charge Bob Neill What research has been undertaken by TfL into the numbers of today’s licensed street markets within the congestion charge zone? Will the Mayor provide figures for take up of stalls of such market space and before and after the introduction of the charge? * 1636 / 2005 - Queens Market Bob Neill What discussions has the Mayor or any of his advisors had with the Mayor of Newham concerning the proposed re-development of Queens Market, Green Street, London? * 1637 / 2005 - Queens Market Bob Neill What steps has the Mayor taken to safeguard the future of Queens Market, Green Street bearing in mind the important service that this market provides to London BME communities, as well as to its diverse local population? * 1638 / 2005 - Welling Bus Lane Bob Neill What steps have TfL taken to evaluate the economic impact the bus lane in Welling High Street upon local traders? What meetings have they had with traders and residents of Welling concerning this bus lane? How often have TfL officers visited Welling High Street in the past two years to monitor the operation of the bus lane? * 1639 / 2005 - Welling High Street Bob Neill Given his responsibility for promoting economic development in London, what investigations has the Mayor made into the reasons for the closure of around 40 shops in Welling in the past two years, as drawn to his attention by Welling Traders on 4th July 2005? What steps will he take to restore the economic viability of the High Street? * 1640 / 2005 - Waterloo International Station Bob Neill What steps has the Mayor taken to ensure that the facilities at Waterloo International Station can be used for domestic rail traffic once the Euro Star services have transferred to St Pancras upon completion of the CTRL? * 1641 / 2005 - Mayoral Approval Forms Angie Bray In the Mayoral Approval form MA2353 it states ‘That the Mayor gives a direction to the TfL requiring the Agency to do all things necessary in relation to the exercise of its functions to implement the TfL interim Projects in relation to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games’, is there a limit and if so what is the limit that the Tfl can spend on doing ‘all things necessary’? * 1642 / 2005 - Mayoral Approval Forms Angie Bray In the Mayoral Approval form MA2353 it states ‘That the Mayor gives a direction to the LDA requiring the Agency to do all things necessary in relation to the exercise of its functions to implement the LDA interim Projects in relation to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games’, is there a limit and if so what is the limit that the LDA can spend on doing ‘all things necessary’? * 1643 / 2005 - Road signs Brian Coleman Will the Mayor please explain the policy of Transport for London to not prosecute companies and individuals who illegally erect signs on TfL managed roads? What other measures are in place to reduce the number of illegal signs? * 1644 / 2005 - Northern Line signal failures Brian Coleman How many signal failures and multiple signal failures were there on the Northern Line in May, June and July 2005? * 1645 / 2005 - Middlesex University Planning Applications Brian Coleman Does the Mayor accept there are still concerns over the second revised planning application with regards the Middlesex University’s Trent Park Campus? * 1646 / 2005 - Galician Division Brian Coleman Has the Mayor any plans to ask the Metropolitan Police to investigate the recent information that alleged Nazi war criminals from the Galician Division entered the UK between 1946 and 1949? * 1647 / 2005 - Licensing Act Brian Coleman Is the Mayor concerned about the effects of the Licensing Act on London and will he be expressing his concerns to Government Ministers? * 1648 / 2005 - Foreign Trips Brian Coleman Can the Mayor please provide details of all foreign trips paid for by Transport for London involving London Borough of Camden Councillors? * 1649 / 2005 - Eastway cycling circuit Bob Blackman What progress has been made by the LDA in providing an alternative site for the current Eastway cycling circuit? * 1650 / 2005 - Planning Permission Brent council Bob Blackman In 2002, you directed the London Borough of Brent to refuse planning permission for the building of a part 7-storey, part 8-storey, part 9-storey, part 10-storey and part 14-storey development in two blocks to provide 517 bedrooms for student accommodation including the provision of 26 car-parking spaces at basement level and cycle-parking provision. Now Brent Council has given its intention to grant planning permission for the development of a 19-storey development on an adjacent site with an even larger footprint. Will you be directing Brent Council to refuse planning permission to this scheme? What are your reasons for your decision? * 1651 / 2005 - Weekend Travelcard Bob Blackman Given the need to attract casual visitors back to London following the terrorist attacks on London Transport, will you now agree to reintroduce the Weekend Travelcard to encourage use of London Underground at week-ends when the use of the network is at its lowest? * 1652 / 2005 - Congestion Charge Bob Blackman Given the need to attract casual visitors back to London following the terrorist attacks on London Transport, will you now agree to the suspension of the congestion charge on Thursdays and Fridays until the end of January 2006 as an experiment to see if this helps to promote travel to tourist venues? * 1653 / 2005 - Proposed Extension of the Congestion Charge Bob Blackman Given the overwhelming opposition to the proposed westward extension of the congestion charge, will you now announce your decision to scrap the proposed scheme and utilise the £55 million reserved for set up costs to help promote travel within London? * 1654 / 2005 - Loss of Garden Space Bob Blackman What action do you propose to stop the loss of garden space by the development of blocks of flats where family houses with gardens currently are situated and also by householders choosing to pave over existing garden space? * 1655 / 2005 - Smoking in Public Places Bob Blackman What action have you undertaken to progress proposals to ban smoking in all public places? What has been the result of any lobbying you have undertaken? * 1656 / 2005 - Dollis Hill House Bob Blackman The proposed use of Dollis Hill House by Brent Primary Care Trust has now fallen through and Brent Council is now reconsidering what action to take. Given that you reportedly agreed to provide funding for the restoration of the historic property before the Mayoral elections of 2004, but put this on hold pending the results of the Brent PCT decision, will you now release funding to allow the restoration of this historic building? * 1657 / 2005 - Housing Targets Bob Blackman The recent release of housing targets suggests a dramatic increase in the expectation of the number of properties to be built in Brent. How are you proposing that the necessary infrastructure changes are to be introduced without severely inconveniencing local residents? * 1658 / 2005 - Housing Targets Bob Blackman How do you propose that the London Borough of Harrow meets the targets in the London Plan for the number of new properties? * 1659 / 2005 - Low cost housing Bob Blackman What sites in Harrow and Brent have been identified for potential low cost housing as part of your discussions with central Government? * 1660 / 2005 - MISC 26 Bob Neill Can you please provide me with the agenda and minutes from the MISC 26 meeting you attended on 12th July? * 1661 / 2005 - Bob Kiley Roger Evans What did you discuss at your meeting with Bob Kiley on 18th July * 1662 / 2005 - Sir Robin Wales Bob Neill What was discussed at your meeting with Sir Robin Wales on 19th July? * 1663 / 2005 - Karen Buck Roger Evans What was discussed at your meeting with Karen Buck, MP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport on 26th July? * 1664 / 2005 - John Prescott MP Bob Neill What was discussed at your meeting with John Prescott MP on 25th August? * 1665 / 2005 - Olympic Board Meeting Angie Bray Can you please provide me with the Agenda and minutes of the Olympic Board meeting on 28th July? * 1666 / 2005 - Congestion Charging: `Tag and Beacon’ Geoff Pope How much have you budgeted to spending over the next five years on developing `tag and beacon’ and GPS technology so that we can target congestion `hot-spots’ throughout Greater London? * 1667 / 2005 - Solar Panels Roger Evans The Energy Saving Trust are giving a grant of £270,757 to the GLA, on behalf of the DTI, for solar panels. Will the GLA group be expected to contribute towards the solar panel project and if so, how much, how many panels will this money buy, what will be the annual maintenance costs to the GLA, when will these panels be installed and how much is expected to be saved off of City Hall’s annual energy bills as a result? * 1668 / 2005 - Tube emergency power cut-off Geoff Pope In view of the fact that this year we have had two episodes on the Piccadilly Line of London Underground where the track remained or became live during an emergency rescue operation despite efforts to turn the current off - the most recent resulting in a paramedic suffering burns, what reassurance can you give that work has been carried out so that such an episode cannot occur again? * 1669 / 2005 - Stop the War Coalition Bad Debt Bob Neill DA1432 details the writing off of the debt to the GLA owed by the Stop the War Coalition. Paragraph 2.3 states that this was a cost incurred by the GLA because Stop the War Coalition failed to meet their obligations to steward the event and paragraph 2.4 states, “The GLA is familiar with this organiser and has first hand knowledge of the risks associated with their previous rallies in Trafalgar Square”. Was a risk assessment produced for this event, what was its conclusion and why did the GLA go ahead with providing financial support when both the Mayor’s Office and the Squares Management Team were already fully aware of the unreliability of the organisers? * 1670 / 2005 - Stop the War Coalition Trafalgar Square Bob Neill Your answer to question 1441/2005 stated; “We require compliance with our rules for events to ensure public safety and the protection of the fabric of the square and in any future events involving the Stop The War Coalition, as with any other external organisaton, my office and other GLA officers will work with them to ensure this happens”. In light of confirmation that it was known all along that the organisers of STWC were unreliable and a high risk for reneging on their debt, will you now state that you will not deal with this organisation or these individuals anymore in terms of providing public money, as they provide poor value for money and a liability on the public purse? * 1671 / 2005 - Greenwich Waterfront Transit proposals Mike Tuffrey Is Transport for Londons preferred route for the Greenwich Waterfront Transit (through the heart of an award-winning ecological corridor) compatible with your Bio-diversity Strategy? The Strategy ‘aims to ensure all Londoners have ready access to wildlife and natural green spaces’ yet local residents (450 of whom have objected) say the preferred route will destroy one. * 1672 / 2005 - Bad Debt Listing Bob Neill What other debts have been written off since you became Mayor of London, how much was each write-off for, which organisations/ individuals benefited from the write-offs and what were the reasons for doing so? * 1673 / 2005 - Abandoned Vehicles Mike Tuffrey Following your endorsement of the Operation Scrap-It campaign, in answer to question 1376/2005, will you ask the Home Office to extend the funding for the scheme until the End of Life Vehicle Directive is implemented in January 2007? * 1674 / 2005 - Bad Debtors Bob Neill Of the £66,782.70 in the Provision for Bad Debt fund, which are the organisations in question and how much does each owe to the GLA? * 1675 / 2005 - Housing Forum for London Dee Doocey In answer to question 1400/2005 you state that, in future, the Housing Forum for London will have a role in advising you in the production of the Housing Strategy? Do you not think, therefore, that it is important for the Forum’s membership to be more balanced in terms of political representation? Do you not have any plans to consult with each Borough directly in the production of the strategy, considering that the Boroughs are ultimately required to be its delivery vehicle? * 1676 / 2005 - Stop the War Coalition Obligations Bob Neill DA1432 details the writing off of the debt to the GLA owed by the Stop the War Coalition. was this because the organization closed down, and if so why has the pursuit of the debt not been restarted as the organization is obviously back in being * 1677 / 2005 - Ravensbourne College Housing Development, Chislehurst Mike Tuffrey Are you aware of the serious concerns of residents in Chislehurst about the proposed development at Ravensbourne College on Walden Road? Do you share their concerns that the community infrastructure, including schools and health services, will not be able to cope with such an influx of new residents? Will the public transport system be adequate to support the proposed Ravensbourne development, and also the other two new developments nearby, and will gridlock around the Chislehurst triangle be made worse? If you are still minded to support the proposal despite these concerns, what assurances can you offer the residents of Chislehurst that public transport and community facilities will be sufficiently upgraded to cope? * 1678 / 2005 - GLA Economics International Conference Angie Bray How much is the GLA Economics second international conference in November likely to cost the GLA and has any cost/ value analysis been undertaken of the first international conference? * 1679 / 2005 - Affordable Housing Provision Dee Doocey Please provide a list of all housing development sites for which you have directed refusal, broken down by Borough, showing the proportion of affordable housing included for each site and the amount of affordable homes that they would have resulted in. Please provide figures for the last three years for which they are complete. * 1680 / 2005 - GLA Economics Consultants Fees Angie Bray How much has been spent each financial year in consulting fees to Volterra since they won the contract to provide GLA Economics with its Consultant Chief Economist? * 1681 / 2005 - View of St Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry’s Mound, Richmond Sally Hamwee Given that your draft SPG London View Management Framework acknowledges the historic and unique character of the view of St Paul’s Cathedral from King Henry’s Mound, will you offer your assurance that this outlook will be safeguarded and that any development that threatens to impinge upon it will not receive your support? * 1682 / 2005 - GLA Economics Consultancy Fees Angie Bray Why has GLA Economics spent £278,510 in consultancy fees in 2004-05 when the unit is itself supposedly a specialist unit capable of researching economic issues? Considering GLA Economics were unable to undertake all of their own research in 2004-05 and allocated 20.6% of their spending to consultants, please advise why it would not make more sense simply make the whole unit consultancy based, trim the size of it, limit the research to issues of actual importance to London’s economy and, at the least, save Operational Buildings Charge of £250,000 levied on them for being an in-house unit? * 1683 / 2005 - Heathrow Night Flights. Elizabeth Howlett Following publication of the latest round of consultation proposals as set out in the recent DfT Stage 2 Consultation on Heathrow Night Flights I would be grateful if you would be willing to give your support to further court action if the DfT is not prepared to move its current stance. I believe that your policy is that night flights at Heathrow are unnecessary in the long term and that there should be a phased reduction. . This accords with Wandsworth Council’s view. The DfT are again bowing in the face of pressure from the airlines to increase night flights at Heathrow. The consultation is so technically complex that the whole process is beyond the understanding of most consultees. On a number of key areas the DfT,by its own admission, has already made decisions that will impact adversely on many tens of thousands of residents in South West London. The DfT has misclassified some Boeing 747s (the main type arriving at Heathrow from 4 to 6am) The effect if this defect has been to significantly understate the noise dose that Londoners are exposed to nightly. Richmond BC successfully brought Judicial Review proceedings against the DfT last December the agreement reached in Court would appear to be ignored by the DfT. Wandsworth Council is determined on the, basis of preliminary legal advice, to make a full, and possibly final, challenge on the issue of night flights through the courts and is seeking cross party financial support from Heathrow and Gatwick local authorities. It would be a major boost to the Local authority case if you were able to give your support, both financial as well as moral. I am advised that another full blown assault on the London night flights issues will probably cost about the same as the Strasbourg Hatton Case. Proceedings will need to be brought within a few days of the closure of the DfT Stage 2 consultation on September 16th 2005, your pledge of support will make a difference. * 1684 / 2005 - Wind Turbines Mike Tuffrey Camden Council have approved a project to install wind turbines at its town hall to power a small fleet of council owned electric vehicles, which they hope to expand. Could this idea be rolled out to generate renewable energy for use by the GLA’s functional bodies, thinking specifically of generating renewable energy for some TfL, LFEPA and Met vehicles? Will you commit to looking into the viability of such a project? * 1685 / 2005 - Energy Consumption Mike Tuffrey Please provide the energy consumed last year (in kWh/ sq m) by City Hall and each of the functional bodies’ main office premises. How does this compare to the average energy consumption by office premises in London? * 1686 / 2005 - Financial Aid to Groups Tony Arbour How many Groups have you provided financial backing for in the last 6 months? * 1687 / 2005 - City Hall Energy Consumption Mike Tuffrey Why is City Hall consuming approximately double the amount of energy that it was promised to do? What measures are you going to take to reduce energy consumption in the building so that it is closer to meeting and setting the environmental standards as it was promised? * 1688 / 2005 - South Kensington Station improvements Angie Bray Could you tell me what improvements will be carried out to South Kensington Station as part of its ‘enhanced refurbishment’ , to be completed by 2009 under the London Underground PPP contract? Will the improvements be of a substantial nature or are they likely to be little more than a new coat of paint * 1689 / 2005 - South Kensington Station Accessibility & Passenger Capacity Angie Bray What are London Underground’s objectives for improving the accessibility and passenger handling capacity of the station and will the ‘enhanced refurbishment’ meet these objectives? * 1690 / 2005 - London Housing Capacity Study Dee Doocey Your new Housing Capacity Study suggests that London can accommodate 31,500 new houses per year? Do you think this is achievable? What meetings have you had with developers to get them on board for this target and to address their reluctance to embarking on development in London? * 1691 / 2005 - South Kensington Station Funding Angie Bray How important is achieving these objectives to London Underground and, given the recent listing of the station which, I imagine, would severely constrain the scope for funding improvements out of development profits, has London Underground identified funding for these improvements? * 1692 / 2005 - Waste Tonnages Mike Tuffrey Please provide the amount of the following types of waste collected by each Borough for the year 2003/04: (a) paper and card, (b) plastic, (c) glass, (d) cans. * 1693 / 2005 - South Kensington Station Timescale for Improvements Angie Bray Would you hope to complete any improvements to the station by 2012, in time for the London Olympics? * 1694 / 2005 - Empty Homes Dee Doocey Please provide the most up-to-date figures for the number of empty homes in each Borough. Pleas also identify how many of these houses are private property and how many have been vacant for six months or longer. * 1695 / 2005 - One London Campaign Tony Arbour Will the Mayor now be renaming his One London campaign the same way he rebranded his Respect campaign? * 1696 / 2005 - Discounted Maintenance Scheme Mike Tuffrey In answer to question 1318/2005 on air quality you mention a discounted maintenance scheme for vehicles in London. Please provide more details on this. How long has it been in operation, how is it funded and managed? Is it a GLA or TfL led scheme? * 1697 / 2005 - One London Campaign Copyright Tony Arbour Did the Mayor copyright his One London campaign? * 1698 / 2005 - Empty Homes Budget Dee Doocey How much money does the GLA spend on empty homes work per annum? Please provide the budgetary allocation for the past four years. * 1699 / 2005 - Oyster Cards at Train Stations Tony Arbour In order to facilitate the use of Oyster cards throughout the Greater London area, when will TfL help the train companies by providing them with compatible equipment to allow them to retail Oyster at the Greater London Area stations? * 1700 / 2005 - CCTV on London Underground Geoff Pope Please will you set out for each tube line the number of times CCTV cameras have been out of operation in a) stations and b) trains in each of the last two years * 1701 / 2005 - CCTV on Buses Geoff Pope Please will you set out for a) each bus operator and b) each route the number of times CCTV cameras have been out of operation in each of the last two years * 1702 / 2005 - Architecture & Urbanism Unit Angie Bray What public space projects has the Architecture & Urbanism Unit been involved in, how has it improved these spaces and why does it cost £20,000 to promote? * 1703 / 2005 - Bird Flu Geoff Pope Please will you set out the number of bird flu anti viral tablets the GLA has purchased, what strains of bird flu they are meant to inoculate and when the tablets expire? * 1704 / 2005 - Climate Change Conference Angie Bray How much will the Climate Change conference on 3rd-5th October cost, who else will be involved, where will it be staged and what do you actually hope to gain? * 1705 / 2005 - History Months Angie Bray Do you intend to have history months aimed at other sections in society eg a Jewish history month, an Asian history month or a white history month? * 1706 / 2005 - 7th July attacks Geoff Pope Do you believe the attacks on the 7th July were suicide bombings? * 1707 / 2005 - Fair Wage Contract Bob Neill Would you agree that the £100,000 contract to Deloittes and Touche for the fair employment/ living wage contract would have been better spent increasing the base salaries for the lowest paid officers of the GLA, TfL and LDA rather than waste additional resources an yet another management project to an outside contractor? * 1708 / 2005 - 7th July attacks Graham Tope Are you aware of any link being established between either the 7th July or 21st July attacks and Al Qaeda? * 1709 / 2005 - LLR Waiving of charges Tony Arbour a). Considering the £ 81,985 in income charges have been waived for LLR in 2005-06, how much of the £116,000 target has been achieved? b).If less events were given waivers, the GLA could raise the income target fro the LLR, which would benefit all Londoners by reducing the Core GLA’s need to call on the precept. Why are you against this principle? * 1710 / 2005 - Extra policing following 7th July attacks Graham Tope How much has the extra policing operation cost following the attacks of the 7th July? * 1711 / 2005 - Crime on London Underground Graham Tope Has there been any decrease in crime on the Tube since the 7th July? * 1712 / 2005 - LLR Raffle Tony Arbour Given the number of times the fees for London’s Living Room have been waived, would the Mayor support the idea of a certain number of days/evenings usage of LLR being set aside and effectively raffled off in some manner to ordinary Londoners, e.g by National Insurance number lottery, for them to decide how it should be used, for free, thus making it genuinely London’s Living Room?” * 1713 / 2005 - Crime levels since 7th July Graham Tope Has there been any increase in crime across the whole of London since the 7th July compared to the same period last year? Which reported crimes went up and which reported crimes went down? * 1714 / 2005 - Ethnicity factor in the resource allocation for health resources Andrew Pelling What can London government do to challenge the change in the ethnicity factor in the resource allocation for health resources that has disadvantaged London? * 1715 / 2005 - Warehouse Theatre, Croydon Andrew Pelling What can be done to save the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon? * 1716 / 2005 - Stop and Search Dee Doocey How many people have been arrested following a stop and search and how many of those were for other offences not related to terrorism since 7/7? * 1717 / 2005 - Diverse night-time economy in Croydon and Sutton Andrew Pelling What can be done in the planning policy to encourage the development of a diverse night-time economy in the Croydon and Sutton town centres so that those people aged over 25 are attracted to these town centres of an evening time ? * 1718 / 2005 - Stop and Search Dee Doocey How many people have been stopped and searched under Section 44 powers since 7th July by the Met Police? What was the ethnic and gender breakdown? * 1719 / 2005 - Anti social behaviour in Shirley. Andrew Pelling With very significant issues to do with anti-social behaviour and intimidation of residents arising in Shirley ward in Croydon what prospects do you see for meeting the need for increased policing by providing for Shirley ward to receive a PCSO team in the 2006-07 round of PCSO team allocations ? * 1720 / 2005 - Recent attacks Graham Tope Has any link between the 7th July and 21st July attacks been established? * 1721 / 2005 - 7th July attacks Geoff Pope Was there any CCTV footage on the Tube trains of the 7th July attacks? * 1722 / 2005 - Recent attacks Graham Tope Do you believe there any credibility to the `burning cross’ theory put forward by newspapers about the planned areas for the attacks of the 7th or 21st July? * 1723 / 2005 - Theatres Dee Doocey What financial and other support is the Mayor/LDA providing to theatres experiencing a drop in trade following of the recent London Bombings? Which organisations have been consulted on the issue? * 1724 / 2005 - Small Businesses Dee Doocey What financial and other support is the Mayor/LDA providing to small businesses experiencing a drop in trade following the recent London Bombings? Which organisations have been consulted on the issue? * 1725 / 2005 - Investing in Public Spaces in North Croydon Andrew Pelling North Croydon suffers from a paucity of well-cared for recreational spaces. The last major investment in public open spaces was the South Norwood Country Park. What possibilities would there be to undertake in North Croydon some of the green grids style study that is being undertaken in east London ? * 1726 / 2005 - Tourist Attractions Dee Doocey What financial and other support is the Mayor/LDA providing to tourist attractions in the capital experiencing a drop in trade following the recent London Bombings? Which organisations have been consulted on the issue? * 1727 / 2005 - Contravention of Chalk Pit Way bus lane during experimental period Andrew Pelling What was the % amount of non-compliance by traffic in the Chalk Pit Way, Sutton bus lane when the bus lane was operational under experimental section 9 powers of the Traffic Regulation Act 1984 ? * 1728 / 2005 - Bus delays in Chalk Pit Way, Sutton Andrew Pelling What amount of delay in seconds incurred per bus is caused to buses by vehicles contravening the Chalk Pit Way, Sutton bus lane ? * 1729 / 2005 - Notting Hill Carnival Dee Doocey When was the last time you and/or Lee Jasper met with London Notting Hill Carnival Ltd and what did you discuss? * 1730 / 2005 - Contraventions of bus lanes in Sutton town centre Andrew Pelling Please list the number of contraventions of bus lanes in the environs of Sutton town centre for a period of twelve months up to a date when such data is available to TfL. Please also list these contraventions as % of total vehicular traffic. * 1731 / 2005 - Notting Hill Carnival Dee Doocey Do you intend to hold a Caribbean Showcase in parallel to the Notting Hill Carnival next year? * 1732 / 2005 - Calibre of Chalk Pit Way bus lane signage Andrew Pelling What is your view as to the legality of the painted out window bus signs that stand over the Chalk Pit Way, Sutton bus lane ? * 1733 / 2005 - Caribbean Showcase Sally Hamwee Why was the GLA contracts code of practice waived in relation to the Caribbean Showcase event? * 1734 / 2005 - Calibre of Chalk Pit Way bus lane signage Andrew Pelling What is your view as to the legality of the painted out window bus signs that stand over the Chalk Pit Way, Sutton bus lane ? * 1735 / 2005 - Access to the arts for disabled people Dee Doocey What progress has been made on publishing research on access to the arts for disabled people in London, which I raised with you last year (Question:1255) and what achievements can the Disability Network point to so far? * 1736 / 2005 - Emergency numbers Andrew Pelling Many residents feel it inappropriate to call 999 but who also find calls to a local police station number ineffective. Other police services have a 0845 median number that serves them well. When might we see a Met 0845 number? * 1737 / 2005 - Gate Gourmet Sally Hamwee What representations have you made with regard to the Gate Gourmet employment dispute at Heathrow Airport? * 1738 / 2005 - Impact of fuel prices on TfL Sally Hamwee What is the expected total fuel expenditure by TfL in 2005/06? How does this compare to 2004/5 and what increase have TfL factored in a result of increasing fuel prices? * 1739 / 2005 - London Connects funding Mike Tuffrey How much money has been secured for the London Connects projects from other London Authorities and public bodies (in addition to the £500,000 which you have agreed on behalf of the GLA)? * 1740 / 2005 - Government Grant Sally Hamwee What representations have you made to your colleagues in government about increasing government grant to the Functional Bodies in light of the recent bombings and what response did you receive? * 1741 / 2005 - Sponsorship income Mike Tuffrey What was the total amount of sponsorship raised and collected (by the GLA) for the following events and projects; a) London Day Reception (MAF2238), b) Cleaning and Repair of Nelson’s Column (MAF2078), c) State of London Debate (MAF2116), d) Lively Up London Event (MAF2132), e) Trafalgar Square Events Programme 2005 (MAF 2173), f) Respect Week 2005 (renamed) (MAF2093), g) Trafalgar Square Hydrogen Demonstration 2004 (MAF1990), h) Wild Web Conservation Campaign (MAF1992), i) Capitalwoman Conference 2005 (MAF 1932), j) St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2005 (MAF 1812), k) Fourth Plinth Sculpture (MAF1926), l) Respect Week 2004 (MAF1724), m) St. Patrick’s Day Festival 2004 (MAF1540), n) Trafalgar Square Events Programme 2004 (MAF1557) * 1742 / 2005 - Reducing crime Graham Tope Do you stand by your claim to cut crime by 50% in your second term as Mayor of London? * 1743 / 2005 - Pigeons Mike Tuffrey How successful have you been in reducing the number of pigeons in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square? Please provide details of any assessments carried out. How much has been spent to date on achieving this goal and how much has been allocated to continuing the pigeon reduction scheme? * 1744 / 2005 – Mayor’s Report Joanne McCartney Would the Mayor please update his written report. * 1745 / 2005 - Youth Valerie Shawcross Does the Mayor see a direct link between the absence of youth services and anti social behaviour and the growth of youth gangs in London? * 1746 / 2005 - London Underground fare evasion Geoff Pope How much fare revenue is estimated to have been lost to a)London Underground and b) buses during the first three months of 2004 and the first three months of 2005? Will you consider increasing the penalty for fare evasion on the Tube in line with the proposals for overground rail? * 1747 / 2005 - Injuries on buses Len Duvall Further to my question (number 1123/2005) would the Mayor agree with me that if injuries on buses are so rare, that TfL should set up a compensation fund for those bus passengers that are injured when the operators are not liable. Passengers pay to travel on London Buses and should not find themselves permanently injured and out of pocket through no fault of their own. * 1748 / 2005 - Fire Brigade Cover Valerie Shawcross What has been the effect on the response times to fires in the areas served by the inner London fire stations, which have closed or had an engine taken away under the London Safety Plan Reorganisation? * 1749 / 2005 - Libraries Dee Doocey Have you accepted the offer made by University College London Library Services to visit them and find out more about their work? If so, what follow-up (if any) was agreed? * 1750 / 2005 - Airtrack John Biggs What priority does the GLA give to the Airtrack proposal for Heathrow and what prospect of construction does the scheme have? * 1751 / 2005 - Herne Hill Velodrome Valerie Shawcross Thank you for the active and professional support of LDA and GLA officers for the drive to re- open the Velodrome and see a long-term future for this important cycling facility for young people. Will you encourage TfL to support the project as a contribution towards the promotion of cycling in south London? * 1752 / 2005 - Libraries Dee Doocey What progress has been made in achieving deliverable 5.3 contained in the Culture Strategy - “Promote reader development programmes through library provision? * 1753 / 2005 - Demolition of housing, Whitechapel Dee Doocey Is it true that the LDA is considering the demolition of Georgian housing, which it owns, in Varden Street and Turner Street in Whitechapel to make way for offices? How is this consistent with your drive to meet London’s demand for over 35,000 homes per year? Have a full options appraisal and public consultation been conducted? * 1754 / 2005 - Demolition of housing Dee Doocey How many houses in London have been demolished in each of the past five years? Please provide the figures broken down by Borough and state whether the demolished properties were publicly or privately owned homes. * 1755 / 2005 - Herne Hill Velodrome Valerie Shawcross Thank you for the active and professional support of LDA and GLA officers for the drive to re- open the Velodrome and see a long-term future for this important cycling facility for young people. Will you encourage TfL to support the project as a contribution towards the promotion of cycling in south London? * 1756 / 2005 - Faith Schools John Biggs What priority should London give to supporting Muslim and other faith schools for those faiths for whom provision is currently minimal in the state sector? * 1757 / 2005 - Relocation of the London Weather Centre Graham Tope Has your office and/or TfL made any representations about the proposed closure of the London Weather Centre; given that the loss of a local regional service may compromise the Met Office’s quality of service to Transport for London and local authorities in London and South-East England. * 1758 / 2005 - Reconfiguring Wholesale Markets John Biggs On what timescale do you believe London’s wholesale markets should be reconfigured and do you support the option of two such markets (at Nine Elms and Leyton or another East London location) or another option? What funding is required and who should provide this? * 1759 / 2005 - Gate Gourmet Dee Doocey What effect on tourism in London did the Gate Gourmet/BA industrial action have? * 1760 / 2005 - Fire Cover John Biggs Does Bethnal Green have adequate fire cover? What evidential basis exists for any assertion that it is as well or better covered than any other part of London? * 1761 / 2005 – Everyone’s London Campaign Dee Doocey How much is the `Everyone’s London’ campaign costing?- please provide a breakdown of funding for this is by Visit London, Transport for London, the LDA, and any other contributor. Which organisations have been consulted in putting together the campaign? * 1762 / 2005 - Bus Drivers John Biggs What steps are being taken to provide adequate toilet facilities for bus drivers at remote stands? Is the provision of such facilities a part of route planning, and should it be? And is the matter complicated by the risks associated with a driver leaving a vehicle unwatched? * 1763 / 2005 - Telephone Survey in Scotland Sally Hamwee Please explain why you have proposed to conduct a telephone survey in Scotland later this year? Will you provide details of the topics covered within the survey? * 1764 / 2005 - Barking Station John Biggs How can the operation of Barking Station be improved? Given that it is a station used largely for tube passengers but operated as an over-ground station this clearly causes difficulties compared to other stations on the District Line. What prospect is there of installing Underground ticket machines on the station? * 1765 / 2005 - Hospital Mini-buses Joanne McCartney Drivers of North Middlesex University Hospital’s hospital transport minibuses are facing traffic delays during rush hour when taking patients to outpatients appointments at the hospital. These minibuses are not permitted to use bus lanes. Drivers have received fines for using bus lanes even when attempting to help patients who have developed difficulties during the journey and patients are also frequently late for their appointments due to this problem. Could consideration please be given to allow hospital transport to use bus lanes during operational hours? * 1766 / 2005 - Audit reports Sally Hamwee Please set out for each of the last four years the number of internal audit reports conducted and how many and which have been given a) limited assurance, b) substantial assurance and c) full assurance. * 1767 / 2005 - Bus Lanes Murad Qureshi Articles in the press seem to suggest that bus lane infringement income is too high. As the purpose of a fine is to deter less socially responsible behaviour, would you support a scheme to raise the fine to a level which would ensure compliance? As Londoners rank amongst the poorest and the very richest in the country, might we benefit from following the Swedish example of setting a fine as a proportion of income? * 1768 / 2005 - Crossrail Geoff Pope When does he expect the Government to agree the funding for Crossrail? Is he concerned about the objections put forward by BAA and other companies about the current scheme? * 1769 / 2005 - Gate Gourmet Murad Qureshi What does the Mayor think of the industrial practices of Gate Gourmet? * 1770 / 2005 - Tube failures Geoff Pope Please list the (a) track (b) signalling (c) rolling stock failures which have occurred on each of the London Underground lines in each of the last three years. * 1771 / 2005 - People back into Central London Murad Qureshi What measures is the Mayor undertaking to assist in getting people back into the West End, which is not at the expense of retail centres in the suburbs of London? * 1772 / 2005 - Later running Tubes Graham Tope When do you expect to implement the Liberal Democrat plan you supported at the last mayoral election to run the Tube an hour later than current services on Friday and Saturday night? * 1773 / 2005 - Approach the Blackfriars Bridge (South side) Valerie Shawcross Thank you to TfL for their support on the issue of improving cycling facilities on the bridge this year. However pedestrian access to and from the bridge is appalling on the north side and not good on the south side. To the South of the bridge there is no pedestrian crossing facility of any kind at the junction of Stamford St and Blackfriars Rd. Pedestrians take their chances against a heavy flow of traffic. Although the feasibility study for work on this section of the TLRN will be available form October 2005 I am told that the realistic operation date for a crossing would not be before the 2007/8 financial year. Can this be brought forward? * 1774 / 2005 - Approaches to Blackfriars bridge (North side) John Biggs The North end of the Bridge has a complex junction with subterranean pedestrian facilities. It is a mess. Literally thousands of pedestrians a day choose to walk on the wrong side of the pedestrian barrier to cross the junction by mingling with the traffic at surface level. It must win the prize as the most hostile pedestrian environment in London. I know this will be an expensive problem to solve but will you give resolving this issue a high priority? Is there anything that TfL or the City Corporation could do to improve the safety for pedestrians in the interim? * 1775 / 2005 - Walworth Rd ‘Streets for People’ Project Valerie Shawcross Southwark Council tell me that they are having difficulties getting the final go ahead from TfL for a project to improve the design, layout and traffic scheme along the Walworth Road. This is probably because the scheme involves removing a bus lane to allow for pavement widening. However, the traffic modeling which Southwark has worked on with the support of TfL shows that buses will flow adequately under the proposed scheme using traffic control phasing and other measures. Southwark are anxious to know if they can press ahead as they are fearful of losing the government funding for this ‘Streets for People’ scheme. When will TfL be responding officially to their request? * 1776 / 2005 - Regeneration in Lambeth Valerie Shawcross I am concerned that Assembly Members are not being consulted by the LDA in their review of the regeneration partnership or strategies for their areas. Lambeth Council has a poor track record in delivering Council led regeneration schemes and was a relative loser in SRB bids because of their lack of regeneration capacity. Cross River was responsible for leading the Vauxhall Cross scheme, the Trams project and the innovative ‘Light at the end of the Tunnel’ project. If the Pool of London and other smaller partnerships are phased out in favour of larger sub regional partnerships how will weak boroughs sustain regeneration planning in their areas? Is this the end of localised projects as the LDA focuses on larger area capital based schemes? How can we support the development of regeneration staff capacity within local Councils? * 1777 / 2005 - Retail sector in Lambeth Valerie Shawcross I have had heartfelt requests for support and help from shopkeepers on Wandsworth Road Lambeth, Black Prince Road Lambeth, Streatham Vale Lambeth, Lambeth Walk and Vauxhall St/Jonathon St Lambeth. In all case the shops are suffering from inadequate short stay shopper parking, inadequate loading facilities, over zealous parking enforcement, sometimes improperly carried out, and other problems such as crime, poor environment, raising Council shop rents and landlord mismanagement. There are also problems for traders on Streatham Hill caused by a Council sell off of shops. I foresee the death of the small independent traders in Lambeth and the loss of shopping parades, which are the heart of local communities. Lambeth Council seems institutionally unable to perceive or respond to this rising crisis in their local retail sector. What actual practical help is the LDA offering to the retail sector in London, especially in areas with high social need and low business capital? * 1778 / 2005 - Environment Murad Qureshi Do you agree that it is contradictory to argue that London Government has done nothing to tackle pollution on the one hand, and to simultaneously oppose almost all measures likely to reduce pollution and congestion such as the West London Tram, the 20p extra per cab journey to clean up cab engines, the extension of the Congestion Charge, the increase in the Congestion Charge, and every single budget that has paid for the expansion of the bus service? * 1779 / 2005 - Cross London Rail Utilisation Strategy Geoff Pope What submission will you or TfL Rail be making to Network Rail’s consultation on their Cross London Rail Utilisation Strategy ? * 1780 / 2005 - Royal Parks Murad Qureshi What is the relationship between the GLA and the Royal Parks? Given the number of events that are held in these public places, do you think they are sufficiently accountable? * 1781 / 2005 - Car sharing Murad Qureshi As the car-sharing schemes are so effective at reducing travel costs, pollution and congestion, do you feel the potential of the schemes could be better met by advertising them? If security is an issue, what measures could the groups take to ensure the safety of users? * 1782 / 2005 – King’s Cross railway lands Geoff Pope The King’s Cross Central regeneration on former railways lands is reputed to be one of the biggest developments in Europe. What public transport improvements are you planning ahead of this development and do you envisage that any new rail or Tube stations will be introduced ? * 1783 / 2005 - Seven Sisters Road/St. Ann’s Road Joanne McCartney The roadway at the intersection of Seven Sisters and St Ann’s Roads in Tottenham is overshadowed by a Network Rail Bridge. Due to network rail failing to net the underside of the bridge pigeons are constantly fouling the roadway and pavement underneath. This results in: · The pedestrian pavement is covered in pigeon droppings, making it extremely slippery and foul smelling; · The street furniture, including the pedestrian crossing controls, traffic lights and crash barriers are covered in pigeon droppings. This is unsightly and a health risk. Is there any pressure that you can excerpt on Network Rail to resolve this problem? * 1784 / 2005 - Fencing and the Archway Road Joanne McCartney Can you give me an update on the review that is being undertaken at your instruction with regards to the fence on the Archway Road near Highgate Tube station? * 1785 / 2005 - Farringdon Station Geoff Pope Do you agree that it would be ludicrous for Thameslink and Crossrail each to construct ticket hall facilities at Farringdon Station consecutively as separate building operations with all the consequent additional disruption for Londoners ? Will you use your good offices to persuade them to a more coordinated solution for this development ? * 1786 / 2005 - Ritz Parade Joanne McCartney I have been working with business people on the Ritz Parade who will loose their business premises due to the works taking place on the A406 North Circular. These traders are an essential part of our local community and provide crucial local amenities for residents in the area, as well local employment and economic benefits in the local community. TfL have met with them at my request and agreed to give them some additional assistance to try and relocate their businesses by means of liaison with local commercial estate agents. But I would like to see more. The works on the A406 are the largest example of road construction yet undertaken by TfL on your ‘shift’. I would like to see TfL work with other partners in the GLA family so we can really showcase to local residents the benefits of some joined up London Government. Would you be prepared to instruct TfL and some of the specialised teams who deal with business relocation within the LDA to work together with other partners to try and help these local businesses relocate as locally as possible? * 1787 / 2005 - The Blackheath Hill hole Geoff Pope Is TfL Street Management now satisfied with the condition of the A2 trunk road at Blackheath Hill following their protracted work on the hole that developed in the carriageway ? In view of the acknowledged £8.2 million cost to TfL of this work, has there been an assessment of the possibility that the hole was caused by leaking water mains which are the responsibility of Thames Water ? * 1788 / 2005 - Road Pricing Murad Qureshi What help can you, on behalf of TfL, offer to Alistair Darling with his road-pricing scheme? * 1789 / 2005 – London’s Population Murad Qureshi What is the population of London and Greater London from 1945 up to the most recent year for which figures are available? * 1790 / 2005 - 485 bus re-route Sally Hamwee Will you ensure that if the 485 bus route [Wandsworth-Richmond] is re-routed to Hammersmith bus station, the new route includes a loop to Sheen Lane and the Castelnau estate so that residents can access the Sheen Lane Centre which contains a library, some council offices and the nearby surgery and pharmacy ? * 1791 / 2005 - Taxi Cabs Murad Qureshi How many Green and Yellow badge licensed taxi drivers are there in London from 1945 up to the most recent year for which figures are available? * 1792 / 2005 - Black cab turning circle Geoff Pope What assessment has Transport for London, in their review of the requirements for London’s black cabs, made of the effect on (a) carbon dioxide and (b) other exhaust pollutants of the 25 foot turning circle of London taxis ? * 1793 / 2005 - Climate Change Summit Mike Tuffrey Which cities have been invited and which have agreed to attend your Climate Change Summit in October? How will this conference differ from and build on the climate change talks held in San Francisco in May of this year? * 1794 / 2005 - Housing Estate Support John Biggs What initiatives are the GLA taking to support struggling Outer London housing estates? * 1795 / 2005 - Buffer Zones Jennette Arnold Further to our discussion at May’s Mayor’s Question Time, can you tell me more about the buffer zones that you intend to add to the existing congestion change boundary if the western extension is put into place? Will this benefit my constituents who live immediately outside the zone, but have not been given the discount proposed for west Londoners? * 1796 / 2005 - Meeting with Jamie Oliver Mike Tuffrey What did you discuss and what was the outcome of your meeting with Jamie Oliver on 21st July? * 1797 / 2005 - Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays ‘ Multi-model Transport Study Valerie Shawcross When I met Transport for London officers and Southwark council officers in January of this year there was some agreement that there are problems of surface transport access to the Rotherhithe peninsula, which are becoming exacerbated by new developments. Southwark were to seek funding for a major transport study for the area through the BSP process and section 106 funding. I am now advised that TFL have told Southwark that a bid for such a study would not be appropriate and the process has ground to a halt. Can you please give a definitive view on whether TfL are willing to assist Southwark in conducting a multi-model transport study for Rotherhithe and Surrey Quays and if not, why not? * 1798 / 2005 - Violence on the Buses John Biggs What lessons can be learnt from the recent stabbing on a bus (the victim then died) where fellow passengers apparently chose to turn the other way? * 1799 / 2005 - Liberty Festival Dee Doocey How many people attended the Liberty Festival and where was it advertised and promoted? * 1800 / 2005 - Arms Fair John Biggs Is the Arms Fair, to be held at Excel, in the interests of Londoners or do you agree with me that, regardless of wider moral questions, this is not a suitable location? What could be done to discourage future events being held there, and who should meet the anticipated £4m policing costs? * 1801 / 2005 - Heritage Routemaster Services John Biggs Will the new heritage routemaster services prove an enduring and positive legacy for these buses? Should they be more strongly targeted at tourists? * 1802 / 2005 - New Year’s Eve Dee Doocey How do you intend to inform Londoners about this year's New Year's Eve event, and when will this information campaign start? * 1803 / 2005 - South Central Regeneration Valerie Shawcross How does the London Development Agency propose to fund regeneration projects in areas with weak Councils and fragile or non existence sub regional partnerships such as Lambeth and Southwark? * 1804 / 2005 - Elephant and Castle Valerie Shawcross How can small business in the Elephant and Castle centre access support which has been promised from the LDA as I have been unable to obtain any public information about this. * 1805 / 2005 - Car Stereos Valerie Shawcross Does the Mayor support my view that the government should legislate to permit enforcement action to be taken against drivers who inflict super amplified music from ‘bass tubes’, or ‘boom boxes’ on the public? * 1806 / 2005 - Gun Crime Valerie Shawcross What progress is being made in tackling gun crime in West Norwood and Streatham? * 1807 / 2005 - Active8 / Events Dee Doocey How many of the activities you supported alongside the Active8 initiative took place in outer London? Will you make a commitment now to organise and support more events in outer London over the next year? * 1808 / 2005 - DASH festival of contemporary Jewish Arts Sally Hamwee Which body is taking the lead in organising the DASH festival referred to in your Mayor’s Report? Where will the festival take place and when? * 1809 / 2005 - Asian Guide 2005 Sally Hamwee What is the cost to the GLA of producing the Asian Guide 2005? Which groups were consulted in putting the guide together? Where will it be distributed and why doesn’t it appear to be in the GLA website? * 1810 / 2005 - The Big Dance 2006 Dee Doocey Which organisations will be involved in `The Big Dance’? What is the GLA budget for this event likely to be and where will it take place? * 1811 / 2005 - Squares Contract Sally Hamwee Why was the managing Agent Service Contract for Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square approved retrospectively? * 1812 / 2005 - London Zoo Mike Tuffrey Has an evaluation of the London Zoo school visits project taken place, including feedback from schools and take-up per borough? If so, can you provide a copy? * 1813 / 2005 - Meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Graham Tope What did you discuss and what was the outcome of your meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister on 25th August 2005? * 1814 / 2005 - Operation Scrap-it Graham Tope Will you support the ALG in it’s efforts to see the Home Office continue the funding for Operation Scrap it, the London-wide campaign to get rid of untaxed and abandoned vehicles from Londons streets? * 1815 / 2005 - Operation Scrap-it Graham Tope Will you support the ALG in it’s efforts to see the Home Office continue the funding for Operation Scrap it, the London-wide campaign to get rid of untaxed and abandoned vehicles from Londons streets? * 1816 / 2005 - Free travel for young people Graham Tope According to reports I am getting some main post offices are struggling with applications to process Oyster Cards for 14 and 15 year olds because they are receiving weekly deliveries against a central allocation, rather than the number the Post Office actually require. This is causing anger for parents who to queue for them and disadvantage the young people wishing to take advantage of the free travel. Please will ensure that all Post Offices right across London have as many of the necessary supplies as they need to meet demand? * 1817 / 2005 - Sustainable Development Mike Tuffrey What lessons are there for London from the recent study by the Commission for Sutainable Development in the South East, published at the end of July by the IPPR? * 1818 / 2005 - More Police and PCSOs Geoff Pope In view of the security situation and the need to provide maximum protection for Londoners as they go about their daily lives, would not the £73 million you are spending this year on the western extension to the congestion charge be better spent on putting more police and community safety officers on to London’s public transport system? * 1819 / 2005 - TfL overtime costs following 7th July Sally Hamwee What is the cost to TfL of the extra staff overtime required in the period immediately following the bombings on 7th July? * 1820 / 2005 - Engineering works relating to 7th July Sally Hamwee What is the cost of the extra engineering works required as a result of the 7th July bombings? * 1821 / 2005 - Women and Equalities contract Sally Hamwee What are the qualifications that make Anne Kane uniquely able to undertake this piece of consultancy work? *