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• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

It has actually proven quite difficult for me to sit here and listen, and not stand up and shout, `rubbish,- because you are talking about environmental sustainability, you are talking about legacy in east London, and yet you are planning to tarmac over a piece of Hackney Marshes: East Marsh... You are ignoring the wishes of the local people, who have come up with several other options instead of tarmacking over a piece of green space. Why are you not consulting the local people? I can give you three suggestions. I have a map and can point to these places...

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Why not save yourself the money of building a car park? Why not make that space beautiful without'?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Jenny Jones (AM): They know the area better than you, I would suggest.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

I just wanted to move on to some of the lessons learnt with the Paralympics and the Olympic Games themselves, because it became a bit, in Athens, of shall we say "after the Lord Mayor's show." That was very unfortunate, I think, given the high levels of competitors and the great interest there is in the UK in the Paralympics. Therefore, has any thought been given either to moving the Paralympics to be held before the main Olympic Games, or to go back to where we were and to integrate the two sets of Games, so that they are part...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

The first is that I am a great fan and supporter of the Olympic bid, as I hope you know, not least because it benefits my constituents enormously. One of the assurances that I think some people in east London, where there is some residual cynicism about the bid, would like is assurances about the ways in which you are going to link the bid into local contracting, local recruitment, training of local people, and relationships with local schools, so that it will be a bid that strengthens the area. There is a history of colonial intervention in east London...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

As the member for the area that Jenny just spoke about, I do have to start by just thanking Jenny (Jones) for her cross-party support on this. I also have to say this is has been a matter that has exercised the previous Member for this area, myself, and the elected members of the borough, and it was central to the discussion of the five-borough bids. All that could be done has been done, and it is one area where we have got some assurances, and also, the community are going to win before the Games, whether we get the...

• Question by: Sally Hamwee
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Is there not a bit of a dilemma at the heart of this? I am not sure whether it is the Mayor who can help answer it. On the one hand, we are all passionate about the Games as a nation, and a lot of people are going to be attending. On the other hand, there is a mass exodus from London which frees up space on public transport. Can you have both of those statements?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

I know that quite a few detailed assurances and commitments have been made in this area already, but I think experience teaches us that you have to tell people again and again, and our job is to examine those proposals again. Are you happy after this meeting to make another written representation, to us, if you like, which could be used in communications in east London and which will clarify points about training; local contracts; the fact that you are going to get local firms, rather than Burger King or whoever, into the area; the fact that contractors will be...

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Alright, coach park. Two years is temporary? You will be damaging wildlife; you will be cutting down trees. There is no protection for trees under the plan.

• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

I am sorry I just must comment on that, because we hear you saying that all the time about every type of finance, that the Government would not dare not give you the money, Mr Mayor, and time and time again, the Government does indeed dare not to give you the money. Therefore, I do not think that is necessarily a comfort for us to hear that from you now, and I think it is leaving it far too late, by the way, to address the overspend issue next summer when we may have already won the bid. Londoners, if...