Examination of Witnesses (Questions 3680
- 3699)
3680. Sir Peter Soulsby: Mr Elvin, are
you planning to ask any questions?
3681. Mr Elvin: Mr Dingemans is going
to call experts later on, and I will be calling my own evidence.
I have just a few points of clarification.
3682. Sir Peter Soulsby: Before you start
doing that, Mr Elvin, Mr Lawrence, I wondered, without obviously
revealing any trade secrets or any details of your own business,
can you give us some idea of the scale of the business, or the
value of the trade on any particular day?
(Mr Lawrence) In turnover, the value of the
turnover is approximately three-quarters of a billion a year.
That is for the market.
3683. I was not suggesting that was for your
business. Thank you very much indeed.
Cross-examined by Mr Elvin
3684. Mr Elvin: Mr Lawrence, I have only
got a couple of questions. The numbers of the Association are
35. How many groups of traders are there there? You said it was
about 99 per cent. What is the total number at the moment?
(Mr Lawrence) Of traders: 36.
3685. Can I just check with you: as I understood
what you said to Mr Dingemans earlier, you see keeping Lindsey
Street open as critical to maintaining the operations of the eastern
end of the market?
(Mr Lawrence) Absolutely. To the whole market.
3686. As you know, the Secretary of State gives
you an assurance that it will be kept open even for the larger
44-tonne trucks. You do understand that?
(Mr Lawrence) Yes.
3687. If that is done, that will meet your main
concern about keeping Lindsey Street open for market trade.
(Mr Lawrence) That would be a major concern,
yes.
3688. I know there is still the issue of the
loading bays, which we will touch on with other witnesses, but
that is the key issue from your point of view.
(Mr Lawrence) Yes.
3689. So far as dust is concerned, and again
I will take it up with your expert on the dust issues, is it right
that you have to take a lot of steps at the moment to make sure
that the individual trading premises are each secure from dirt
and are kept clean and properly refrigerated where necessary?
(Mr Lawrence) That is correct, yes.
3690. That is under the EC regulations for hygiene.
(Mr Lawrence) Yes.
3691. Can I just get your confirmation: the
six loading bays which are hermetically sealed to allow the movement
of meat which is not packed into the market, they are three on
the north side of the market and three on the south side? None
of those loading bays are within Lindsey Street.
(Mr Lawrence) That is correct.
3692. If we go to A44, page 55.[8]
I said there were three on the north and three on the south but
there are four in the north and two in the south. Is that right?
(Mr Lawrence) Yes.
3693. Can I put this on the scanner because
it is not the right way round? We see four at the top and two
at the bottom. Is that right?
(Mr Lawrence) Yes.
3694. Four of them are attached to the central
part of the market and two attached to the northern part of the
eastern end of the market. They are not affected by the Lindsey
Street works; they remain in operation.
(Mr Lawrence) Yes. The two furthest to your
right at the top could be a concern whether the containers can
turn round easily, but we are quite confident it should be—we
are not 100 per cent sure.
3695. Can I just ask you about your leases?
You have got ten-year leases. One of the objects of the Association
is to renegotiate the standard form of lease for the City of London.
(Mr Lawrence) That is correct.
3696. Given that the leases, although you are
protected under the Landlord and Tenants Act, come to an end in
2010, presumably you will be starting to negotiate new ten-year
leases at some time before then?
(Mr Lawrence) Yes, we will.
3697. Do you have an expectation that you will
get further ten-year leases to replace the existing ones? Is that
the likelihood?
(Mr Lawrence) Absolutely.
3698. So that, at the time of the works, the
market traders will be in possession of substantial leases of
ten years or thereabouts which will allow them certain rights
in relation to the settlement deed.
(Mr Lawrence) Yes.
3699. Mr Elvin: Thank you very much.
8 Committee Ref: A44, Petition of SMTA (LONDLB28005-179). Back
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