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• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

Without getting into the merits or otherwise of bendy buses, obviously one of the clear concerns is that the rear portion of the buses is not monitored. Is there a consideration now then that you would concentrate RPIs and suchlike on such routes, where fare evasion is particularly a problem?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

The reason I raised that is that the number 18 bus route that runs through my constituency carries two million passengers a year, or thereabouts. In a recent exercise over 100 people were caught in an hour, without having paid a proper fare. That suggests that anecdotal evidence that people just do not bother paying if they get on the rear portion of those buses is borne out by reality, and if there is a concentration on routes such as that, it must reduce the amount of money that is evaded. Would you not agree that is a useful way...

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

Have you got any idea when we will actually hear when this will all happen?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

In the spring. Is that the spring of next year or 2009 or later?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

One of the considerations that I would like you to take away, and I do not expect an answer now, is about the timings on the Metropolitan Line trains on the signboards that seem to have disappeared because no one can rely on them. The fact that trains are due to appear is listed now, but without the actual time delay and it appears because of frequent breakdowns and problems that we have got on the rolling stock, that that is what is happening and a lot of commuters are concerned about that.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 05 December 2007

I listened to your comments about the requirement to do the Metropolitan Line, which runs right the way through my constituency. Obviously one of the concerns that most people have is that, in some way, shape or form, the various different station upgrades and improvements to the line are going to be delayed or even worse, postponed. Can you give us a guarantee now about when the work will be carried out, or whether that will be included within this Metronet review?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

But to paraphrase what you said, Paul, it is suggested to me that we will not see any extra facilities, as a result of having training facilities here. All we will see is maybe some improvements to existing facilities.

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

Lord Coe, you have gone on record as saying that the Olympics is not about budgets and additional infrastructure, it is about ambition and legacy. How is the current row over the budget for the main Olympic Stadium actually having an effect on the legacy, for example, for the main Olympic Stadium?

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

Well, the report suggests that the requirement for legacy, ie reducing the capacity of the stadium, is driving the increasing costs. And I think that is a terribly important issue --

• Question by: Bob Blackman
• Meeting date: 15 February 2007

Reports are saying that the main contractor is coming back and saying that the cost of the Olympic Stadium has doubled. Can you confirm that?