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• Reference: 2012/0220-1
• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

What are the principal weaknesses in, and opportunities for, London's funding?

• Reference: 2012/0221-1
• Question by: Gareth Bacon MP
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Stamp Duty and Income tax have both been mooted as potential candidates for tax devolution from Whitehall to London. How would you see the devolution of these taxes working, in practice? Which do you see as a more attractive option?

• Question by: Murad Qureshi
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Murad Qureshi (AM): I just want to briefly go back to land valuation taxation if you don't mind, given Roger's [Roger Evans AM] comments. I hear what you are saying about local planning concerns that have to be addressed by local authorities, I hear what you say about anything being proposed having to be national and not just London, but you would accept that it would discourage land banking and a fair amount of empty sites? Forget empty properties, there are major sites lying empty. Would it not encourage those being moved on at least and the promotion of jobs...

• Question by: Richard Tracey
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Tony, you have already spelt out some of the complexities of trying to bring something like this in and you have discussed whether it would simply be London or whether it would apply to the rest of the country, but surely one of the other enormous unfairnesses of it would be at what level and percentage it came in and indeed who qualified. Liberal Democrat politicians have been talking about a mansion tax applying over £1 million or £2 million, which seems very unfair, but surely the really serious unfairness of this would be if young people trying to get...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Roger Evans (AM): I too spent a pleasant lunch some years ago being lobbied on this matter by Dave Wetzel [President of the Labour Land Campaign]. Professor Tony Travers (Chair, London Finance Commission): It is always fun. Roger Evans (AM): Yes, and he made the point that Jenny [Jones] does that it would encourage better use of land in London. Does that not mean that if you are using a piece of land for residential purposes it will encourage you to put a block of flats on it, the higher the better, rather than just ordinary houses?

• Question by: Andrew Boff
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Andrew Boff (AM): Professor Travers, do you think that the localisation of business rates might assist local authorities in dealing with the blight of empty shops and derelict land?

• Question by: Nicky Gavron
• Meeting date: 24 October 2012

Nicky Gavron (AM): Picking up on what you were saying earlier about hypothecation and recognising that you are trying to do a very important, long term job which may pay off, in the shorter term, how far is your survey of other cities looking at the ways in which other city governments have been enabled to set charges like congestion charging, or have the powers to set levies and so on, which they can hypothecate? The Mayor has two opportunities in London: CIL and congestion charging, and there could be others like that. Are you going to come up with...

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Thank you for that answer, but you will recall that one of the issues that was raised at the five-borough planning meeting was the legacy. Really my question is about what guarantees we are building in to ensure that facilities that are built really can have the revenue in order that they can carry on, and we are not left in a position with so-called `white elephants- around the place.

• Question by: Jennette Arnold OBE
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

Can I just press you: when you say "sign off" and "your assurance," we hear this, and people in Hackney and in east London have heard this time and time again, so can you just dig deeper? What do you mean? What guarantees are there that there will be a revenue stream and that these jobs that are created will stay local? I do not get a sense of what is happening and who is going to be leading. Will the LDA be leading on behalf of the Mayor to ensure that the legacy is longer than the Games?

• Question by: Bob Neill
• Meeting date: 13 October 2004

The comments about Crystal Palace are welcome, but perhaps the Mayor would deal with this: do you not understand that residents of Bromley and Bexley feel aggrieved? Although safeguarding of Crystal Palace is good, they are likely to receive very little direct benefit in legacy terms, but are expected to contribute through their council tax for a number of years, whereas residents of areas outside London, which may have Olympic sites as firm parts of the bid, are not expected to contribute. What means could be achieved to seek greater equity for the residents of Bexley and Bromley on that...