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

One of these guys bought his land for £1.25 million. That was three years ago, and then it was valued by Porter Glenny, your people, at £1.071 million, a drop of 24%, when all the other land in the area, because of the Olympics, is going up.

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

One thing that I am concerned about: you talked about compensation and about being fair and within codes. What does this mean, in real terms, to the businesses affected? I will explain the reason why I am asking this. Many of the businesses have come to me ' and, in fact, come to many fellow Assembly Members ' and have made clear that the terms they are being offered mean they will have to spend anything up to 20%, 30%, or 40% more from either existing reserves or raised money to be able to continue on the promised like-for-like basis...

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

You say `overpay.'

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

This is not like-for-like, is it? I am looking at a number of businesses, like Sortex, M Laurier and Sons, all of whom have made public statements, `We would be delighted with just simply like-for-like. We do not want to make any money. We were promised that.' What they are going to be, if anything ' £600,000 short. Let me just put it to you: if I came to you and wanted to take your flat in the area or house in the area, and then what happened was that in the process of all this, I took it from...

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

Like (Robert) Mugabe (president of Zimbabwe) ' exactly.

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

I know. I am not saying that you are not going to write wonderful strategy papers saying how marvellously the whole thing will work. What I am actually looking for is for you to talk to people, talk to London companies, and engage in debate with them. It is the same thing; it is the blue-sky thinking, the strategies, but where is the action?