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• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

My question, and emphasis here, is actually that rather than focus on the quantity of jobs, we have also got to look at the quality of jobs, and what have you. My experience of working in the East End, certainly on the local employment in construction, was that actually that was not their preference. And I think the trick is to get them into employment into things that they want to do. I do not know how much of your emphasis on this front is solely on construction. Whilst I see the possibilities, and many of us may do, it...

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

One of the areas which you have not touched on in terms of environmental commitments is the waterways, I mean the backbone of the Olympic site has both the River Lea and canals. I just want to be clear what your commitments are there, how much progress you have made and what we can expect in the near future, in terms of check-off points.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

From what I understand of it, the environmental strategies are all pretty good stuff, and I am generally happy to support them and sign-up to them, but I am getting complaints from local residents that on the ground where works are already taking place, for example, test works or earth moving works, or works along the canal network, that the customer practice that has been developed by contractors does not seem to be consistent with those strategies; Roadways have been closed unnecessarily, trees which are mature, which would appear to have a life beyond the Olympics, have been torn down...

• Reference: 2007/0013-1
• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

What are you doing to ensure the economic boost brought to the host boroughs and the rest of London will be sustained beyond 2012?

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 17 January 2007

I just wanted to go into the whole area of possible exposure to hedge funds, and what that may mean for our pension holders. Both directly and indirectly, our exposure to the derivative market is of concern to a lot of people, given how much coverage it gets in the business pages.

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 17 January 2007

Which mirrors much of the behaviour of the hedge funds we have got in London, because I mean London has become a centre of all that. I am just concerned whether, to the extent of our exposure, both directly and indirectly, and to what extent that limits our ability to be ethical as well.

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 17 January 2007

Can I then ask what is the current investment in, specifically, tobacco? I ask this because I raised this question in September 2005 with the Mayor, and his answer then was that he was of the opinion that LPFA was looking towards developing an ethical investment policy that would take account of this type of issue. Can I just add, you talked about employment and you said it was fine, if you like, to be investing in BAE (British Aerospace) because it gave us great employment. Is it fine to stay investing in tobacco companies that kill hundreds of thousands...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 17 January 2007

Can I just say that for me the meeting started well but from that last response I am really quite disappointed. Can we go back to the answers to Mike's [Tuffrey] question? If we are talking about openness, then why do we not see something like that in this document? Where would you see this approach that you have outlined in this document? Basically, from what you have said, you have a very narrow definition of a pension fund that seeks to be socially responsible. Let me just say to you, you used the phrase, `It would be lunatic to...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 17 January 2007

How long will that stock remain with your fund?

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 17 January 2007

But can you tell me the share? And can I just follow you on and say, if you are thinking long term, are you not aware that tobacco companies, themselves, are disinvesting in the poisonous weed, and are going into different stocks and different products? So, can you not say that on this issue, you, as the Chair of this body, will be working with your officers to be shifting whatever that investment that is currently within the portfolio somewhere else?