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• Question by: Mike Tuffrey
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

Can I return to planning and approval and ask Simon Fletcher what monitoring is done as part of the planning and approval process as to the volume of overseas travel?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

Right. Are there instances of officers then seeking foreign trips which have been declined by yourself or the Mayor or through the machinery?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

So they are always accepted?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

So you have worked this out then. Why can't we have the figures? I just feel we need to know how much these services will cost and what they are. We are getting US$16 million.250,000 people, on the basis of the Mayor's statement this morning, will get travel concessions worth £280. Of course not all are going to take them up, but even if 80% take them up, that will take up the whole of that US$32 million.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

You could not have given those assurances on the phone?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

I think it would be quite helpful if you could say the criteria that he used for the trips that are accepted and those that are rejected, in terms of the planning side. Obviously at the moment we have understood from your answer to Mr Biggs' questions that you do not accept all the invitations, and presumably you are not proactive, but what are the criteria you use to decide?

• Question by: Damian Hockney
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

How much? Very small? What does very small mean? Are you saying less than £1 million, between £1 million and £5 million, up to the value of the money we are getting? How much?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

I would like to say right up front I am not trying to score any points here, I would just like some progress. I am well aware that my name is on this list of people who have flown on behalf of the Mayor. What weight is given in the planning for whether or not to take trains rather than planes? It is clear that, for example, two people at least have gone to MIPIM [international property event] in Cannes this week, and the LDA automatically booked a flight because apparently you have to book a long way ahead. So...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

I accept what you have said about the Mayor who clearly takes his responsibilities to running this capital city seriously, but what about all his staff? I have looked at this document [refers to schedule of foreign trips undertaken by staff in the Mayor's Office]. I brought the smaller version. There is still a bigger version. I am really quite concerned how you are all going to offset all this travelling that you have been doing. Not only singly but mostly you go fourhanded to some very nice enticing places, and really I do not see the point of this...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 14 March 2007

Just to slightly pursue some of the answers that we have had here. When you are planning a Mayoral visit - and, Mr Ross, you are an economist - what value do you place on a Mayoral visit, on average?