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• Reference: 2007/0108-1
• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 07 November 2007

How do you intend to fulfill the promise of a bonfire of bureaucracy?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Thank you for that. I think a lot of it is also about public perception but also what other people say. I heard on the Today programme once Glen Smythe who is the Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation saying, `The level of crime reported is far below that which really happens and the whole process is underplayed for political reasons'. I am link member on the MPA for Kensington and Chelsea and the Chair of the Police and Community Consultative Group (PCCG) there is constantly concerned with regard to, say, carnival that the level of reporting of crime is...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Would you, Commissioner, please comment on the misuse of statistics yesterday by the Mayor who said of the police force in Kingston that they were 14 times more likely to stop black people than white people, and that black people in Richmond were 13 times more likely to be stopped than white people? Would you explain how this has occurred and make it crystal clear that there is absolutely no question that the police in both of these fine Boroughs are doing anything which could conceivably be said to be discriminatory?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 November 2006

Would you support completely independent statistics in future?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 15 June 2005

Basically Graham Tope asked the question in exactly the same form as I would have asked it and I was actually very pleased with your response. I think it is hugely dangerous to demonise younger people, and I think even right down to the things like the curfews, in addition to what Graham Tope said, I think these are a problem issue for the police, are they not, and it is a situation where really it almost has a massive impact on your ability to engage with young people?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 15 June 2005

In Australia, when first of all they were talking about bringing in a similar system to the one proposed in Britain ' which is quite invasive in terms of the amount of material kept on the card ' initially there was public support. After it became apparent what was going to happen, public support collapsed, and then the police weighed in and said this might cost far more in resources to deal with the likely aggravation. I think really that is what I am getting to. It is like the poll tax. Nobody thought beforehand, everybody thought `what a marvellous...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 15 June 2005

Good morning, Sir Ian. You mentioned the business of experts and the matter of identity theft. One of the problems with ID cards is that, whatever technology you develop, counter-technology - the minute radar was developed 60 years ago, the day after, anti-radar appeared. The same applies with this. Has the MPS done anything about costing, or analysed the likely possibility of costs increased, firstly by refusal or failure to comply with new ID legislation, and the possible increase in identity theft, and problems which some experts say will occur if you have an ID card system?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 15 June 2005

The database to have to handle this would be massive. The problems of simply creating that database would be huge, and those people, the human link that would have to look after it, would be open to blackmail or inducements by criminal elements.

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 15 June 2005

The biometrics have to be foolproof is what you are saying?

• Question by: Peter Hulme Cross
• Meeting date: 15 June 2005

Sir Ian (Blair), thank you. My point is that having ID cards did not stop the Madrid bombings; having ID cards has not stopped bombings in Russia; the 9/11 hijackers all had valid documents and were able to get into the US; and they did not prevent any of those things, and yet the Government used the argument of having ID cards to justify the whole process, that ID cards would have prevented these when they brought them in. I remember David Blunkett (former Home Secretary) saying it in Parliament.