Mayors Question Time

After Labour's Andrew Dismore made another reference to the fact that Boris Johnson went to Eton, the mayor came out fighting:

Boris Johnson remains tight-lipped when it comes to one of the key issues of the last election campaign, revealing nothing when it comes to the possibility of fare rises next year.

He will not rule out targeted fare reduction but does not sound too enthusiastic about it either.

He repeats his election assertion that any Transport for London operating surplus is a pot to plunder for reducing fares but says all used to improve transport across the capital.

Back to cleaner air in London, Boris Johnson reveals that TfL is to look at the use of exemptions from the congestion charge, as a way of improving air quality.

Labour's Andrew Dismore pushed the Mayor of London Boris Johnson for a list of fire stations in danger of closing because of budget cuts.

The Mayor said he did not have such a list and said the subject should be discussed on the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. Mr Dismore is on the committee.

The Mayor does also point out that London has the lowest incidents of fire per head of population compared to other places in the country.

On the subject of policing numbers Mayor of London Boris Johnson said:

Accused of currently being "five or six hundred" down on his own target, Mr Johnson agreed it was "due a recruitment freeze during the Olympics". He also said he wanted to get more officers, currently performing back room functions, out on the street.

While pushing for even more cycle-friendly features in the Olympic Park, Jennie Jones amazes the Mayor by announcing that in the neighbouring borough of Hackney, 10 per cent of journeys are made by bike.

There is a bizarre debate with the Lib Dem Steve Knight, over what constitutes a new 'job' created by the Olympics and Paralympics. The context - did Boris Johnson say he'd create more jobs than he has? His response was, "you've got to be attacked for something…".

The Mayor of London takes a moment to dismiss the "absolute codswallop" put about in the election campaign that London has the dirtiest air in Europe - Paris, Rome and Barcelona are worse he says. In an aside he says that London has just staged the cleanest Olympics in history.

On policing, Mr Johnson has assured the Assembly that while there are continuing investigations into how economies can be made across the Met, "there are no plans to merge Borough Command units… I am giving you a guarantee that there will be no merging of BOCUs". Quite clear on that then.

Offering support to a new law making squatting a criminal offence, the Mayor added "the rate of empty homes is down to the lowest since the 1970s".

At the first Mayor's Question Time since the Olympics, the Games' legacy is on the agenda. Boris Johnson says the Olympic Park is going to be a "cyclist's paradise". The aviation needs of London are also getting an airing.

He denies he sees the argument in terms of Heathrow versus the Thames estuary (or the Prime Minister versus the Mayor).

While Heathrow is a non-starter as far as Mr Johnson's concerned, he understands the the real options for expanding London's aviation capacity lie in Stanstead or two sites in the Thames estuary.

Boris Johnson will today face his first Mayor's Questions since the Olympic and Paralympic games.

He's likely to be quizzed about the legacy and maintaining Police numbers, despite budget cuts.