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• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 10 November 2007

Yes, you are absolutely right. London generates an enormous amount of wealth - according to the London Chamber of Commerce about £13 - £20 billion - which is then taken by the Government and used to subsidise the rest of the country, if not Scotland. We can certainly do with more money. As far as Crossrail is concerned, the Mayor has said that is probably the most important project, even more important than the Olympics. Nevertheless, the Government still found themselves with a shortfall of over £300 million and turned to the City to stump up yet more money in...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 11 October 2006

Well, I would have thought that the purpose of the LDA was to provide London with jobs and economic development. Personally, I do not really see the rationale for spending so much money which could have been directed elsewhere, to jobs for young people, whatever, on the Caribbean Showcase, when the Notting Hill Carnival was going on at the same time. I cannot make that connection, I am afraid. I just think that it is extraordinary that you should spend the money in this way.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 11 October 2006

That equates to a very neat and tidy solution. You move the allotment holders off to Marsh Lane for a period of approximately seven years, I understand, and then you move them back to another site approximately close to where they are now. Unfortunately it is not going to work terribly well because it takes over seven years to establish a new allotment site. Frankly, if the plot holder is going to be facing two moves within seven years, a lot of them will simply give up. Perhaps the diehards will carry on, but I do not see that this...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 11 October 2006

May I put something to you? Here is a quotation from the Olympics designers, `What makes architecture exciting is the ultimate connection with everyday life, communities, topographies, things that are already there. We talk about growing rather than deploying projects. This comes out of an interest in discovering, experimenting rather than producing or perfecting what we know'. That is Farshad Masali, the Olympic designer. Now a little bit of out of the box thinking could surely do something. What you are proposing is, levelling the land, reducing it by eight metres and building a concrete path, a massive great concrete...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 11 October 2006

And that site, in fact, is rubble from World War 2, with just a brief covering of topsoil, so quite how successful it will be as an allotment site is open to question. What we are destroying here is an allotment site which has been there for nigh on 100 years and was left in perpetuity by Major Villiers to allotment holders.

• Reference: 2006/0228-1
• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 11 October 2006

The LDA has said that the 100-year-old Manor Gardens allotments in Newham, bequeathed by Major Villiers to be allotments in perpetuity, will have to be concreteted over to make way for a footpath needed for the four week 'green' Olympics. Manor Gardens is all about exactly what Ken Livingstone always says he's trying to encourage - healthy living, social inclusion, sustainability, eco-living, encouraging a sense of togetherness among a diverse local community. These allotments are an oasis in the middle of an industrial desert, and a real lifeline for many. Is there not some way in which destruction of this...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 10 October 2006

Can I put in a plea that whatever food is provided will be reasonably priced? I know that this is somewhat subjective and what some people might consider reasonable, others may not. However, clearly where people have a monopoly, there is a huge temptation to charge whatever they like. Another thing: can I put in a plea for water to be provided free of charge because at the Athens Games, if you went in, they actually confiscated your water bottle if you had one with you. I was horrified. I think that is really important that at least plain water...

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 10 October 2006

If you are suddenly confronted with the need for extra security, and so your security bill goes up beyond expectations or perhaps your ticket sales do not live up to expectations and you have a shortfall, so you are left at the end of the day with a budget over-run, who covers it and can you give an absolute assurance that it will not be London council tax payers?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 10 October 2006

In the negotiations, the IOC would seem to be in the dominant position. They seem to hold the cards, to me.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 10 October 2006

Yes, it is purely speculative but clearly there is a concern there and it would be quite contrary to the spirit of the Games to have a separation for certain groups within the complex, would it not?