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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?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Tony (Winterbottom), I have something else. The Mayor has just admitted that you use `expensive lawyers.' Those are his very words. When over 100 firms, then, employ lawyers to defend themselves in these situations in order to defend themselves and real jobs ' 11,000 real jobs in London ' they are then briefed against in the press. They are then briefed against and accused of being all sorts of things, which they are now completely fed up with ' that they are a handful, greedy; over 100 businesses employing 11,000 people are greedy. They are demonised, and then the lawyers...

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Do you see my point, Tony (Winterbottom)?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Like-for-like ' is that like-for-like? I do not think so.

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Absolutely. I am aware of the Canary Wharf initiative, and I laud it. It is absolutely fantastic, and it is the kind of thing we want. We work very closely in north London with The College of North West London to try to look at the skills that will be needed in that area. Therefore, through the LSC and the further education colleges, it is absolutely essential that we work out the skills that are needed. That is what happened in Canary Wharf. They worked out the skills that were needed, and then were able to provide the training for...

• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

Still, even in what you have just described, you have not mentioned any interaction with the people on the ground ' the businesses ' at this stage. You are talking about consulting the boroughs and consulting other stakeholders. I would have thought that at this stage, you need the information from the people who are going to be looking for the contracts, and who are going to be producing it. I find it quite difficult to get information. If I could, I will address the next bit to Tony (Winterbottom, Executive Director, Regeneration & Development, LDA), rather than you. Tony...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 08 September 2005

I think it would be very helpful if that were done, but also, if something which is accessible to local businesses who are not politicians like us ' who understand all these convoluted politician-speak reports ' something which they could understand and could understand how they could have access to tendering and contracts and get some of the benefits which they have been promised out of the Olympics. I hope that is possible, as well. The second question, then, is about employment training in the construction industry. My understanding is that there has already been quite a bit of work...