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• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

I'm trying to find out what powers you actually have when the Mayor is away. Supposing there was a 11 September situation, for example a plane crashed into the House of Commons, the Mayor was in Australia, all flights were postponed, as they were after 11 September, and there's you, in London, in charge. What actions could you take in such a situation?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

I was not suggesting anything like that. I was asking you what real decisions you would make. Despite the marvels of modern communication, it seems unlikely that it would be possible to communicate, even with your literary skills, precisely what was happening here in London to the Mayor, and the chances are therefore that you would have to make some decisions on your own. What kind of decisions would they be? Indeed, what decisions have you made on your own?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

So you would accept that you could not reassure Londoners, despite the fact that you are the anointed one, that the Mayor has laid his hands upon you and that he has given you full powers?

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Would you write her speeches in those circumstances?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Is it true to say that Ken Livingstone believes in a democratic, accountable and transparent system of government? Would that be fair enough?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

I am interested in when the Mayor is away. According to The Telegraph, Ken Livingstone is quoted as saying, "My delegation to Simon Fletcher is a routine process I"ve used a number of times'. Has this happened on a number of times that he's signed over his powers to you, not just when he went to Australia? And could you tell us how many times he's done that?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Four times you have been in charge in place of the Mayor?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

But at those times, if you cannot get hold of the Mayor - let's say there was some crisis - you would have to act, and you would be able to act. Let's put it that way. You would be able to act with the full powers of the Mayor and you've been in that position, four times, in the last two years?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

Don't you find that people out there find this a little bit odd, that the Mayor did not delegate his powers as he could do under the Act, and as it indicates under the Act, to the Deputy Mayor?

• Question by: Eric Ollerenshaw
• Meeting date: 12 June 2002

In the same way as when he is in the swimming pool in Millbank, the Mayor is the Executive Mayor of London. There is no difference. One of the most extraordinary things of this whole argument was when the Mayor was away and John Craig of the BBC was genuinely surprised to see a letter from the Mayor from Australia, as if he'd not known that there was such a thing as email, fax and mobile phone, let alone landline. It's bizarre. I don't know why you think somehow it's not possible to be in touch with somebody.