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• Question by: Stephen Knight
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Stephen Knight (AM): To pick you up on the point you have just made around the high property values in London, compared, I believe with most other developed countries, we have very few property and wealth taxes in this country; we predominantly focus on income and sales taxes. I just wondered to what extent you think the high cost of housing in London is partly driven by the fact that it is a tax free growth area for people, by which I mean it is a tax free investment and therefore that has partly driven the speculation that has driven...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Goodness me. I think this is a very worthwhile debate although it may seem a bit arid to some observers and we need to make sure we do not get too academic about it. Would you agree with me that around the world probably the single greatest source of income for city governments tends to be, in one shape or form, from properties? You have said a couple of times now that property taxes are so visible and so potent that virtually all political parties play 'chicken' with each other. Well, the opposite of 'chicken'; they are scared to look...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Nicky Gavron (AM): While we are on land and talking about the planning system, currently the Assembly's Planning Committee is looking at the community infrastructure levy (CIL). That is, to a certain extent, a fixed charge, although there are lots of complications because it is set different in different boroughs and there is not necessarily a duty to cooperate and so on. On top of that is the Mayor's own CIL. I was wondering, this CIL is for Crossrail, but is the Commission going to look beyond that to the way CIL might be used by the Mayor in the...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

In the same spirit, how far are you going to frame for the Mayor any of the mechanisms he might be thinking about for the comprehensive spending review for London?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Finally, you mentioned as well that it is not just about tackling the issue of low pay here, but it is making sure that people are paid a decent wage for all work done in relation to the Olympics. Therefore, in terms of merchandise being imported and so on, will you be making sure that there are guarantees that that is not through sweatshop labour, and that there are principles of fair trade, fair pay, and so on incorporated into that?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Would you not agree with the me that, actually, the approach to take now is to sweep away this bureaucracy and have exactly what you have said: a simple organisation that everyone can understand, so if things go wrong, we know who to look to, rather than it being obscured all over the place?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

There are not going to be. Okay, fine.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

I think I meant London citizens in lower case, rather than that particular organisation.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

I am glad to hear that, and I suspect a lot of local authorities will be competing amongst themselves for which countries to host. Could you just keep me informed about those developments, because it is quite a critical one that we need to keep an eye on.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Thank you for that response, Mayor. Most of the other venues outside of the Olympic Village itself are outside of the local government structures. I was just wondering, whilst we have heard good words and deeds from the various venues, how we can make sure that there are other mechanisms for them to be accountable. Have bodies like Sport England a role to play in this?