Examination of Witnesses (Questions 4620
- 4623)
4620. Chairman: Ms Lieven, you are happy
with this programme?
4621. Ms Lieven: Yes, on the very specific
facts of this very specific case and where we have got to. We
are most unhappy, to be frank, about deferring petitions in this
situation but we have said to Salisbury House that because the
issue is so narrow and simply one of process, and because they
have made that clear publicly to the Committee so that the Committee
knows that if they come back, we had reached that stage that we
are not going to oppose a deferral. I am couching it in those
terms, sir, because you can understand that Mr Walker, who is
organising the programme, is under a lot of pressure from many
other Petitioners to defer for further negotiation and it has
proved very difficult to get Petitioners to appear in front of
this Committee because they all want to defer. So we are very
bothered about the public message that goes out from agreeing
to defer Salisbury House, but on these particular circumstances
we are not resisting a deferral.
4622. Chairman: Bearing in mind that
we have the draft in front of us and we are so close it seems
sensible to follow that course.
4623. Chairman: That being the end of
this sitting we now stand adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m.
in this room.
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