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• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

Without getting into the merits or otherwise of bendy buses, obviously one of the clear concerns is that the rear portion of the buses is not monitored. Is there a consideration now then that you would concentrate RPIs and suchlike on such routes, where fare evasion is particularly a problem?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

The reason I raised that is that the number 18 bus route that runs through my constituency carries two million passengers a year, or thereabouts. In a recent exercise over 100 people were caught in an hour, without having paid a proper fare. That suggests that anecdotal evidence that people just do not bother paying if they get on the rear portion of those buses is borne out by reality, and if there is a concentration on routes such as that, it must reduce the amount of money that is evaded. Would you not agree that is a useful way...

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

Have you got any idea when we will actually hear when this will all happen?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

In the spring. Is that the spring of next year or 2009 or later?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

One of the considerations that I would like you to take away, and I do not expect an answer now, is about the timings on the Metropolitan Line trains on the signboards that seem to have disappeared because no one can rely on them. The fact that trains are due to appear is listed now, but without the actual time delay and it appears because of frequent breakdowns and problems that we have got on the rolling stock, that that is what is happening and a lot of commuters are concerned about that.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

I listened to your comments about the requirement to do the Metropolitan Line, which runs right the way through my constituency. Obviously one of the concerns that most people have is that, in some way, shape or form, the various different station upgrades and improvements to the line are going to be delayed or even worse, postponed. Can you give us a guarantee now about when the work will be carried out, or whether that will be included within this Metronet review?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 24 October 2007

So why have you set such a low limit? Why not 25% or 30%?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 24 October 2007

Finally, what are you going to do about the still considerable number of empty properties that are not brought onto the housing market at all?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 24 October 2007

The key is that when those properties come available, there is a queue a mile long to acquire them. So, there is clearly a need for more of those types of properties.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 24 October 2007

Two quick areas I would just like to raise: how are you going to address the need for new affordable housing for families when we have already got a surplus of one bedroom properties at affordable level, and a large element of the developments that have taken place have been two bedroom properties? In actual fact the demand now in London is very much for family housing, both for affordable housing for rent but also housing that can be bought by families.