Examination of Witnesses (Questions 6860
- 6863)
6860. Members, I have to put it to you that
really what you are being faced with today is a stark reality:
of a scheme that has not been adequately considered. There are
questions as to the legality of the Environmental Statement. I
simply raise this because they are capable of cure. As Mr Elvin
pointed out on Day One, there have already been two supplementary
addenda to the Environmental Statement and all my clients seek
today is for you to suggest to the Promoters, in somewhat more
forceful terms than we can, that they look at these alternatives
properly before this Bill is allowed to proceed further—certainly
before it comes to the third reading, if necessary (in response
to Mr Binley's point).
6861. The reason why we raise the question of
compensation is it is not just how the system is going to operate,
it is its impact upon those residents and businesses which are
going to be affected day-on-day for the future life of this railway.
If the compensation bill can be less, as Mr Winbourne has indicated,
simply by appropriate measures being taken, why not take them?
Why not study them now? Why leave this all till later to find
there are disadvantaged people not having sufficient money even
though the compensation code is being applied which may be one
that is nationally based but, nonetheless, is one which has been
recognised by the Law Commission as being in such need of reform
that it has produced two volumes of very detailed work which will
await Parliamentary time for consideration in terms of the substantive
Bill.
6862. Members, that is the position in which
my clients wish to place this matter in this context at this time.
We ask you to recommend to the Promoters that there be further
consideration of the alternatives so that Parliament as well as
the nation have the reassurance that what finally gets passed
as an Act of Parliament, if it ever does, is not only in the national
interest but is the best value to this country, not only in terms
of utilisation of taxpayers' money but, also, in terms of having
the least environmental effects. Thank you very much.
6863. Chairman: Thank you very much indeed.
Tomorrow morning, at 10.00 am in this room, we will recommence
firstly to hear the Petitions of the Regent Street Association,
followed then by the London Borough of Havering and we will then
return, at 2.30 tomorrow afternoon, to hear the case put by Antique
Hypermarket Limited and then return, if necessary, to the London
Borough of Havering case.
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