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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: 2011/0099-1
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

Given the £1m funding of the LIFE courses, how much money is LFEPA receiving from other partners to run the courses, and can you give a commitment that if there are issues in receiving funding from partners the LIFE courses will continue without any cut-backs?

• Reference: 2011/0101-1
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

What action is being taken by the London Fire Brigade against those with a high level of shut in lifts incidents?

• Reference: 2011/0102-1
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

Given that vulnerable elderly people account for over half of fire deaths in the capital, what additional inspection work will be undertaken with Directors of Adult Services and Adult Safeguarding Boards in local authorities to reverse this trend?

• Reference: 2011/0104-1
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

How will you ensure that fire safety messages reach those young, educated London professionals whose lifestyle traits are the cause of 25% of accidental house fires, as reported recently?

• Reference: 2011/0105-1
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

What are the implications for the London Fire Brigade on the reported increase in fatal fires occurring in converted garages occupied as homes and not supported by the appropriate planning and building regulations? What action is the Authority taking on this and the proliferation of 'out-buildings' built in back gardens and posing significant fire risks.

• Reference: 2011/0106-1
• Question by: Navin Shah
• Meeting date: 07 September 2011

After the recent spate of house fires, including the high profile fire in Bermondsey, caused by a faulty defroster timer switch on an appliance, how will the excellent partnership-working by the London Fire Brigade's fire investigation team be promoted to alert Londoners and manufacturers to the potential danger?