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• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

It is obvious just from looking at the media coverage that different tactics were used on the ground in different places, and some with a greater level of success than others. In Romford we had some prior notice that this was going to happen by maybe extrapolating the events from the night before in the way that Darren has mentioned, but also information on social media, and that enabled our fairly far-sighted borough commander, Mike Smith, to put measures in place to ask businesses to close early and to deploy his officers at Romford Station, where the considerable police presence...

• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

Acting Commissioner, first of all, congratulations on the level of arrests and the speed with which you have been doing that. The public are right behind you, as far as I hear. I represent the Clapham Junction area of Battersea, and we have been out talking to a lot of residents there, particularly, in many cases, fairly young ones. They say that they had been picking up a lot of intelligence from the likes of Facebook, Twitter and so on some hours before Clapham Junction blew up and, indeed, over the days before. You have already talked as the Chairman...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

I think most Londoners are absolutely full of praise for the way police handled this from Tuesday 8 August onwards, and the policing was proportionate, it was appropriate, it was effective, the right numbers were there and we did not need to have the Army coming in or plastic bullets or water cannons or anything like that. It was appropriate, effective policing that restored order. However, the widespread perception on the Sunday and the Monday is simply that the policing operation was not effective either in terms of tactics or in terms of the numbers on the street. Could those...

• Question by: Richard Barnbrook
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

I think pretty much everyone has made comments on what has taken place, commending the police activity, but there is one situation. When the police, nationwide and in the MPS, are faced with social networking on football hooliganism or on certain political activities, they have sufficient information gathered over a ten-year period to move in there, undercover or uniform, and stop this. So, you are still suggesting there are not enough workings within the MPS to be able to work out the activity of social networking?

• Question by: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

Will our two witnesses accept that London owes them personally a deep debt of gratitude for the leadership they showed in August; Mr Malthouse in filling the vacuum of political leadership, and you, Mr Godwin, in providing leadership? Can I also pay tribute to the Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Stephen Kavanagh, who played a leading role and was excellent on the media, and to my own Borough Commander in Barnet, Chief Superintendant Basu, who played a blinder, which meant we had no trouble in Barnet. My question is to Mr Godwin. Other than increased budgets, because every officer always wants increased...

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

Tim, I have nothing but admiration for the men and women who faced down rioters. I just find the whole thing quite extraordinary, and I think we should wait until we have all the facts before rushing to judgement. I think that is very important. I just have a couple of questions of detail for you. Is there a system in place whereby, when there is an emergency, you can very quickly call in officers either by having radio announcements, like they do for nurses and doctors, or by another form of communication? That is my first question.

• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

): First of all, Acting Commissioner, again I would like to repeat the acknowledgement of the bravery of officers that night over in Croydon, Sutton and across London. I have been looking forward to the inquiry and the review and the evidence that will be given to that inquiry from this building and elsewhere. A couple of the points I would like to explore have already been touched upon by both of you. Clearly, from a Croydon point of view, Croydon and Tottenham and one or two others were the most seriously affected. Clearly, I have a lot of knowledge...

• Question by: James Cleverly
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Acting Commissioner, the feedback I have had from a number of police officers of various ranks with regard to public order policing over the last 18 months is that there is an atmosphere of 'damned if you do, damned if you don't'. You used the phrase 'robust enforcement' and, as you say, there have been numerous examples of police officers both collectively and as individuals showing enormous levels of bravery, and that needs to be recognised. Do you currently feel that the response that you need to have in situations like this is getting the political...

• Reference: 2004/0394-1
• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

What plans are there to deploy police and others to areas they are needed when transport and phone systems may not be working?

• Reference: 2004/0405-1
• Question by: Richard Barnes
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

What arrangements have you made the various London embassies regarding their establishment of alternative embassies in other parts of the UK in light of a terrorist attack?