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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: 2011/0075-1
• Question by: Dee Doocey
• Meeting date: 16 March 2011

Dee Doocey (Chair): Can I formally welcome Baroness Ford and Andrew Altman to the meeting. Baroness Ford is the Chair of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) and Andrew Altman is the Chief Executive. Thank you very much for coming. If I could explain how the session is going to work; I understand that Margaret and Andrew are going to give a five minute opening statement. I will then ask a Member from each Group to put a question in the following order: the Labour Group, followed by the Liberal Democrat Group, followed by the Conservative Group, followed by the...

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 16 March 2011

Could you tell me what role the OPLC will have in consulting the populated parts of the proposed MDC?

• Question by: Richard Barnbrook
• Meeting date: 16 March 2011

Thank you, Chair. I would like to take a step back as we look towards legacy. We are all aware in this Chamber that the host boroughs of east London are some of the poorest locations in the capital. 70,000 unemployed adults are in the seven east London boroughs that neighbour the Olympic site. I am looking at the foundations of a legacy. How is it possible to truly call this a legacy when, at this moment in time, of the 5,381 employed people on the site, only 20% are from the five hosting boroughs and 48% are non-British? This...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 16 March 2011

Thank you, Chair. I have got a number of questions. Firstly, to go back to what John was talking about, on the people legacy. The Olympic Park set itself benchmarks, as you know, Margaret. I know that you have been aware of the programmes it implemented. The sadness is that those teams may now well disperse. I welcome what you are doing with schools. Would you agree with me that you need also to work with local colleges, in the way that the ODA did, and what you need to do is, in a sense, take the baton and do...

• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 16 March 2011

Can I touch on the sustainability assurance aspects. The Commission for a Sustainable 2012 does not just do the construction and the staging of the Games, it includes legacy, albeit that process is going to come to an end in about 2013. The first question, for the record, is do you welcome that scrutiny and will you cooperate fully with the Commission for a Sustainable 2012 for the legacy aspects?

• Question by: Gareth Bacon MP
• Meeting date: 16 March 2011

I am interested in the cost of running the sports venues once they are into legacy mode. I understand that the OPLC will be responsible for the Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, the mixed sports venue and the tower. Do you expect the sports venues will require public subsidy once they are in legacy mode to keep them afloat, or will they stand on their own two feet?