Examination of Witness by the Committee
(Questions 120-137)
MR GAVIN WILDERS
16 JUNE 2004
120. CHAIRMAN: As they should peddle under
the Act?
121. MR LEWIS: I think it would probably
be pushing it a bit too far to say that. There is no requirement
for a pedlar to peddle door to door. He can peddle around the
streets approaching people and asking them if they want to buy
things. I think that is probably more the traditional idea of
what a pedlar should do. What this is intended to do is to stop
pedlars effectively from street trading and setting up a semi-permanent
stall.
122. CHAIRMAN: That is what I was trying
- not very well - to summarise, the fact that pedlars, provided
they do what pedlars should do, will still be able to do that.
Street traders will be able to street trade, as they should. What
pedlars will not be able to do is use their pedlar's certificate
to street trade? Is that right?
123. MR LEWIS: Yes; that is fair.
124. CHAIRMAN: If you are a genuine
pedlar and this legislation is going to go through what are you
going to feel aggrieved about?
125. MR LEWIS: Every person will have
a different idea of what a genuine pedlar is. We did have a petitioner
against the London Local Authorities Bill who was aggrieved about
the fact, I assume, that he would have to pay fees or that he
would effectively in some areas not be able to carry out trading
at all because there simply would not be any prospect of the council
granting any more licences because they were full up, which is
of course the problem which they had, that there were simply too
many people trading on the streets. I seem to remember that evidence
was given about the problems at White Hart Lane where there would
be no chance whatsoever of anybody obtaining a trading licence
in that area simply because of the huge numbers of people going
to Tottenham Hotspur football ground.
126. CHAIRMAN: Are you saying that if
most of the people we are talking about are not really legitimate
pedlars, once this Bill goes through they will have to become
street traders or not trade?
127. MR LEWIS: Unless they go from house
to house; correct.
128. CHAIRMAN: House to house, by its
very nature, would not be in the middle of a busy town.
129. MR LEWIS: Not in a commercial and
shopping street like Chatham High Street. Effectively the pedlars
would need to obtain a consent to trade in those streets, which
are consent streets. At the moment with a pedlar's licence they
can trade in a prohibited street, where street trading is prohibited
by the council, and the council cannot do anything about it.
130. CHAIRMAN: If there are no more
questions could we ask you and your colleagues to retire for a
few minutes while we think over what we have been hearing.
Counsel and parties are directed to withdraw
and, after a short time, are again called
in
131. CHAIRMAN:
We have discussed that and we are happy to allow the Bill to proceed
with the amendments as set out, so perhaps we can now go on to
formally prove the Preamble.
132. MR LEWIS: Thank you, sir. Are you
Gavin St John Wilders?
(Mr Wilders) Yes.
133. MR LEWIS: Are you employed by Medway
Council as the Head of Environmental Health and Enforcement?
(Mr Wilders) Yes.
134. MR LEWIS: Have you read the Preamble
to the Bill?
(Mr Wilders) I
have.
135. MR LEWIS: Is it true?
(Mr Wilders) It
is.
136. MR LEWIS: Thank you.
137. CHAIRMAN: Thank you very much. That concludes
our proceedings. Let us hope that things go as we all hope they
will.
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