Search questions

• 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: 2012/0013-2
• Question by: Valerie Shawcross
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Valerie Shawcross (AM): I think the last time you were both in front of us we did speak a little bit about how you were reconfiguring the Trident Gang Crime Command and the considerable number of people who work in that division, was it 500 staff I think you mentioned. Since then there has been seven stabbings in my division and of course a terrible murder of Kwame Ofosu-Asare [March 2012]. We are looking at the performance data that suggests there is a growing problem. Serious youth violence is up over the 12 months rolling period by 4.9%, nearly 5%...

• Reference: 2012/0016-2
• Question by: Steve O'Connell
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Steve O'Connell (AM): Turning to resources, I know recently you have written to the Chair with an update on your thoughts around PCSO numbers and improvement and that letter has been copied to us, so thank you for that.

• Question by: Caroline Pidgeon
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Caroline Pidgeon (AM): I just wanted to pick up a couple of things, following on from Val's question. The issue Val mentions of the seven stabbings, and one stabbing that resulted in somebody tragically dying in parts of Lambeth Kit Malthouse (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime): Pimlico. Caroline Pidgeon (AM): -- I wonder if there is any more information you could give us in terms of extra resources and what you are doing, because there are clearly huge concerns in the community in that area, and it would be useful if you could give us a bit more information...

• Question by: Tony Arbour
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Tony Arbour (AM): I have been looking at this card, and I have to say I am not sure I agree with you, Kit, that people do not expect criminals to be caught. I seem to recall Kit Malthouse (Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime): They do. Tony Arbour (AM): the saintly Sir Robert Peel [Home Secretary who established the Metropolitan Police Force in the 1820s], when he put down the things of people being caught and brought to justice; no mention of that on the card. The key thing about this card which I note is that it says...

• Question by: James Cleverly
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

James Cleverly (AM): Following up from Victoria's questions about particularly young victims of crime and their confidence in policing, and I do not want to go crashing into one of the issues we have later on, but we are going to be touching a little bit on disproportionality. From memory, from the feedback we get from the sectors of the community who are least confident interacting with the police, the young tend to be less confident than the older generation. Black and other ethnic minorities tend to be less confident than the white population. Specifically with young, potentially black victims...

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 08 March 2012

Jenny Jones (AM): I would like to go back to Tony's questioning, which I completely support. I think senior police officers are paid amply and could probably provide their own legal services. Perhaps we should go through all the evidence from the Leveson and work out what percentage of their answers are completely of non-public concern or where we are not liable to pay for them and we could claim our fees back. What do you think, Tony? Would you like to write to the Commissioner and suggest that? Anyway, getting back to the papers Tony Arbour (AM): I am...