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• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 19 July 2006

Certainly my perception is that the LSC has failed to encourage a breadth of skills training, and that's why we have this deficit in the building trade. Joiners, plumbers, they are all Europeans coming in and filling these jobs, and the indigenous population in young people leaving schools are not getting a chance because they do not have the skills and there is somehow no way that they can get the training. So, I am afraid, this is very true and I see this all the time in my constituencies. There is, actually, a wonderful life for people who have...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 19 July 2006

What I wanted to ask about is the skills shortage that there is in London, and, Mr Ross, you touched on that at the very start of this meeting. There are whole areas of skills in the building trade which we do not have any longer, and so, therefore, people from Europe are walking into jobs here instead of the indigenous population. What I was going to suggest to the Mayor, now he is in charge of the Learning and Skills Board and stuff, and the new strategy, why do we not think of going back to the apprenticeship scheme...

• Reference: 2003/0419
• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

The MPS step change business case makes clear that increased infrastructure provision will be required if the step change programme is to be fully effective. How much will this increased infrastructure add on to the total cost of the step change programme? .

• Reference: 2003/0438
• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

How will the MPA use its statutory role on Borough CDRPs to make them more effective? .

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

As link member for Bromley, I just wonder, Lord Harris, whether in fact you have the right information. The Chief Superintendent has managed to change the duty roster and he also has a charging unit for the sergeant that runs it so that when an officer comes in with an offender he is handed over to the charging unit. The officer is then able to go out on to the streets again, which increases visibility. I wonder whether you have the right information because certainly they have the highest visibility of officers in the Met. I would like to ask...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 10 December 2003

We are not trying to put barriers in the way of Step Change. Like everybody else we think Step Change is an excellent initiative. The barrier is affordability, particularly given the savage cuts the Government has hit all of London's public services with this year. On the issue of affordability, I would like ask two things. Have you had assurance, or even a nod and a wink from Government Ministers, that after next year's pilot which will cost £26.2 million, yes the money would be forthcoming from Government sources? It certainly cannot come from Londoners. As we look forward to...

• Reference: 2002/0236-1
• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 13 November 2002

Why is the cost of the retention of officers following the implementation of C3i being included in the part year cost of additional officers recruited (£48.1m) and being charged to the 2003/4 precept when the salaries of these officers are already in the core budget? Do you agree that without a corresponding negative budget figure in savings that this is double counting? If you do not agree, please clarify the position.

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 13 November 2002

Now, can I ask another further question about the 1,000 officers? You have said this morning, in your preamble that the budget proposed to the Mayor, for precept of 1,000 officers. So, that will mean there will mean a huge increase, because we have already been told that the money that was precepted for 1,000 officers actually doesn't pay for 1,000 officers. It pays for on costs, as Len Duvall has tried to get at, for about 600 officers. Now, my understanding was that a conversation was going to be had with the Mayor as to whether he would relax...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 13 November 2002

Thank you very much. I would really like people to put their hands up if they've actually understood that. Assembly colleagues, have you really? Graham Tope, as Chairman of the Finance Committee, with this, "Now you see it, now you don"t" sort of figures that we see on finance papers - and I"m not insulting Peter Martin, because I think he's done a really grand job, especially now that his Deputy Finance Director comes from Wandsworth. But you see, what I'm getting at is the presentation of papers; that in fact I have to ask a question like this, and...

• Question by: Elizabeth Howlett
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

I am well aware of the state of chairmanship in the MPA, and I don't necessarily direct that at you. But I am well aware of papers, very, very important papers that come on the table, and you saying that certain colleagues don't like the idea of you vetting them is far from reality. You know that the independent members, a lot of them ex-councillors, do complain themselves about papers being laid on the table. Very important papers! However, you've got Commander Shave sitting behind you. Perhaps Commander Shave will be able to tell us, and there are MPS senior...