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• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 16 January 2008

Given that the Assembly's Environment Committee investigation into the barriers that ordinary Londoners faced in terms of greening their homes showed that one of the biggest barriers that Londoners faced, even though they were enthusiastic about wanting to do something, was the lack of practical advice and information, does it not suggest that the comparatively low take-up we have seen so far suggests we need a more aggressive marketing campaign that reaches Londoners rather than less emphasis on marketing and getting the message out?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 16 January 2008

Thank you very much. You have told us lots about your good intentions and your principles and so on - and indeed about 90% of what you have said was about your intentions - but not what you have actually achieved. That really is rather like the expenditure that there has been on these programmes. Is it good value for money that, of the £2.7 million that has been spent on the Green Homes programme, £2.2 million of that has been spent on publicity and only £300,000 on actual insulation grant? Would you not say that the whole thing is...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 16 January 2008

Would you also agree that, rather than simply just expecting people to come to you for advice and information, we need to see more of what has been happening in Lewisham where council officers have been going directly to peoples' own homes on a door-to-door basis and offering that advice directly?

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 16 January 2008

It is very important that people have a practical solution to these light bulbs. I am genuinely asking whether we are going to get some improvements in the light bulb that might persuade people that they are not such a disastrous thing to move over to. That is what I am trying to get at.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 16 January 2008

I was just wondering about these light bulbs. Nicky, have you completely gone over to these hideous new light bulbs? Has your house completely gone over to them now?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 16 January 2008

The truth of the matter is, and this really is to the Deputy Mayor, that this was a publicity campaign. There was never any belief that there would be a substantial take'up, as indeed there was not a substantial take-up. It is a fact that every single one of the campaigns that you have had which do not involve compulsion relating to saving energy has been a complete failure. I wonder if I can put to you the amount of money that you have spent on Recycle for London; the Mayor has spent almost £1 million on this over the...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 25 April 2007

OK. If we take the example of the Olympic Boulevard, that is the main Olympic marathon route back into the Olympic Park after they have done their 26 miles. The aspiration would be that that looks good on television, for example. That is not your responsibility?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 25 April 2007

OK. There is an interesting challenge here which is that virtually the whole of the rest of the world is very keen to make sure that the Olympics do not go over budget, whereas a lot of my constituents in East London are very anxious to make sure that, in making sure the Olympics do not go over budget, we do not spend too little on the regeneration benefits for the area. The individual borough councils, for example, have aspirations as to how the Olympics will improve their areas. One that pops up is the Olympic Boulevard idea, supported by...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 25 April 2007

Can I move on to the question of jobs and employment. There has been a lot of focus on the budgets ensuring that people are adequately trained to build the facilities. Do you have a responsibility for thinking about legacy land uses and the ways in which communities will benefit from those uses of land? The one that is held up very often is the Broadcast Centre which could become a major employment venue in the future. What is your role in that, or are you simply trying to get the cheapest building up quickly, do not care if it...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 25 April 2007

I suppose I should declare, for the record, that I am the Deputy Chair of the UDC, although I would not accept that it is the only body responsible for this work.