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• Question by: Stephen Knight
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Stephen Knight (AM): To pick you up on the point you have just made around the high property values in London, compared, I believe with most other developed countries, we have very few property and wealth taxes in this country; we predominantly focus on income and sales taxes. I just wondered to what extent you think the high cost of housing in London is partly driven by the fact that it is a tax free growth area for people, by which I mean it is a tax free investment and therefore that has partly driven the speculation that has driven...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Goodness me. I think this is a very worthwhile debate although it may seem a bit arid to some observers and we need to make sure we do not get too academic about it. Would you agree with me that around the world probably the single greatest source of income for city governments tends to be, in one shape or form, from properties? You have said a couple of times now that property taxes are so visible and so potent that virtually all political parties play 'chicken' with each other. Well, the opposite of 'chicken'; they are scared to look...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Nicky Gavron (AM): While we are on land and talking about the planning system, currently the Assembly's Planning Committee is looking at the community infrastructure levy (CIL). That is, to a certain extent, a fixed charge, although there are lots of complications because it is set different in different boroughs and there is not necessarily a duty to cooperate and so on. On top of that is the Mayor's own CIL. I was wondering, this CIL is for Crossrail, but is the Commission going to look beyond that to the way CIL might be used by the Mayor in the...

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

In the same spirit, how far are you going to frame for the Mayor any of the mechanisms he might be thinking about for the comprehensive spending review for London?

• Reference: 2007/0109-1
• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

A joint report by the Home Office and police found that more than 80% of CCTV pictures are of such poor quality they are no good for police purposes, and most cameras are in the wrong places to help in fighting serious crime or terrorism. * Is the purpose of CCTV cameras, to tackle low-level, high-volume crime and disorder in town centres, being undermined by a lack of quality? * The report also claimed that authorities have no idea how many cameras exist despite claims that Britain is the most watched nation in the world, with more than 4m in...

• Reference: 2007/0110-1
• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

In allocating your police budget between different types of policing activity, what are your priorities and where are you seeking savings?

• Reference: 2007/0111-1
• Question by: Graham Tope
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

What are the next steps for Safer Neighbourhood Teams in London?

• Reference: 2007/0112-1
• Question by: Angie Bray
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

Do you share the view of Bob Quick, Chief Constable of Surrey that government targets are making officers and the CPS "skew" their operations towards easy results?

• Reference: 2007/0113-1
• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

Can you please supply a summary of the impact of the 2012 Olympics on the MPS Budget between now and 2013? There have been suggestions that some aspects of security in the Budget for 2012 are not allowed for in either the MPS Budget or the revised 2012 Budget. Please can you state what is being done to ensure that London council tax payers will not be required to fund this expenditure.

• Reference: 2007/0114-1
• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

How much has the MPS spent on 'carbon offsetting' between 2004 and 2007, and is it not absurd that the EU will in future force us to pay VAT on these additional costs to the taxpayer?