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• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

I know that the Metropolitan Police endeavoured to put £800,000 into its budget for next year, which would have been paid directly for Londoners and not necessarily through that mechanism. What I am seeking is a clear assurance to Londoners where that funding is going to come from. I do not want the Mayor to be grandstanding about his 35,000 police officers.

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Barbara Cassani, when she was here, talked about private security. Is that still an option, or will it be from the Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) and police officers that normally patrol London being taken across to the Olympics?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Thank you, Mr Mayor. I recognise where you are coming from, but this Government does not actually have a very good track record on delivering things. Can I make it clear that I do support the Olympic Games for London, but I need to be able to argue it for my people in west London. My real question is on the security aspects of it and what assessment has been made of the security risk for London for 2012. Also, how are those security aspects going to be paid for, so that there is an upfront and clear funding for...

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Is that based on pre-9/11 status, or how does it work?

• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Yes. Who pays for it?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Damian Hockney (AM): Elements of this argument, to me, I am sorry to say, appear to be completely weird. Mayor, you mentioned the point that Olympics have broken even or made a profit since Montreal, but the reality is the Greek finance minister only two weeks ago blamed the Greek deficit, in part, upon the losses made at the Olympic Games. Then Mike (Lee), you made a point just 60 seconds later that the IOC does not want a re-run of Athens. The point about this is it is to do with money. It is to do with the fact...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Could you ask them to put one in about that?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Mike (Lee), the point about that is that it is simply not the case. The number of people in that survey who said, "We will pay nothing," was 40%. Now, those people said, "We will pay nothing towards an Olympic Games in London terms." You cannot say that those people are supportive. I might have argued the question at the time, if I had been asked. I would have said, "Yes, I would like to see them in London," but if somebody then started asking about my support, on the basis of the costs that are unspecified or that we...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

This is the problem with a supranational, international body telling us what to do, so it is unaccountable, like the EU, I guess "our other interest"

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

And the Eurovision Song Contest. No, I am a supporter of the Eurovision Song Contest, having sung in the song for Europe, but I will not go into that.