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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: Brian Coleman
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

I vaguely think that is a 'yes,' but never mind.

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Thank you very much. One is still a little bit worried. I do not think I have had a proper answer, but my concerns are really about the legal responsibilities that local authorities ' the educational authorities ' may have. One presumes that in a critical incident, children may be removed to a separate, secure place from their parents. Now, this raises the question about legal and practical care to ensure that the children are well-cared for in the short- and medium-term. Now, the term 'in loco parentis' is, in fact, common law, and it does not assume the responsibility...

• Reference: 2004/0390-1
• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

What is being done to ensure that in the event of a major crisis there will be an adequate supply of fresh food for Londoners?