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• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Bob Neill (AM): I am sure that is right. It is a shame that GOL are not here so that we could have heard it be said. Brian Coleman (Chair): Indeed, we wish Mr Kowalczyk was here, so we could pay tribute to him this morning, but unfortunately he is not. I am sure, however, his spies are in the audience somewhere. Can I just ask, Mr Mayer, are you saying we need, in your professional opinion as an officer ' or 'mere bureaucrat,' as you describe yourself ' that we need an office of emergency planning in London?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

An important part of what we want to try to achieve is to reassure Londoners that proper procedures are in place. What reassurance is there? What can I say to my constituency as to who is in charge at the moment for planning a) for resilience, b) for recovery? Secondly, who is providing the money for those, and where is it going?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

Is that the answer to all the questions? The whole lot? At the moment, we have a scenario where the boroughs have some emergency planning, civil defence, old-fashioned-type powers. LFEPA has some powers. The other emergency services have a smattering of powers. Are you satisfied, Mr Mayer, that we have an accountable form of joining those together, or do we have a reassurance gap, as far as London is concerned? It may be being done by Nick Raynsford, but how do we assure Londoners that it is being'?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

I notice that the surrounding county councils, of course, are the responsible authority for civil defence and emergency planning. Do you think perhaps it is an advantage that they are able to plan at a county, as opposed to a borough, level? Is that something you should learn from London's point of view? Secondly, I also note that the very helpful plans, which you have detailed, Mr Wechsler, are made available to the public, both on, for example, Oxfordshire County Council's website and Surrey County Council's website, and that Surrey, indeed, has a dedicated SurreyAlert website. Do we propose to...

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

I just wondered if people might more logically think we would go to a London alert website, rather than a Bexley alert or a Hammersmith alert.

• Reference: 2004/0407-1
• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 08 December 2004

What level joint operational planning occurs with the local authorities bordering London given their critical role in supporting any evacuation in light of an incident?