Examination of Witnesses (Questions 10640
- 10657)
10640. Mr Binley: Which I think I am
right in saying is quite early in the process of the correspondence,
is it not?
10641. Mr Galloway: I am not sure he
would resile from what he said in that correspondence.
10642. Mr Binley: I draw attention to
the fact that is not necessarily the whole of the correspondence
being quoted to us.
10643. Mr Galloway: It is a fair point
that is made, Chairman, but it is equally a fair point that I
make. These are the extant views of Trevor Phillips, as far as
I am aware.
10644. Mr Binley: If I just might add,
is it not case, if I recall it correctly that was something Mr
Phillips wrote after having received two letters from two people
in the area and that he has perhaps modified his views since?
10645. Mr Galloway: You may be more familiar
with Mr Trevor Phillips than me.
10646. Mr Binley: I am.
10647. Mr Galloway: But my constituent
John Aktar knows this scheme inside out and knows the impact it
will have inside out. Trevor Phillips did write the words I have
just quoted. I am aware of no other words from Trevor Phillips
in which he withdraws his observations.
10648. Chairman: Neither am I, Mr Galloway.
Can I just say that we have all the correspondence from the Commission
and we will appraise all that information.
10649. Mr Galloway: Okay. I am coming
to my last point, Chairman.
10650. Chairman: And we will give a judgment.
10651. Mr Galloway: I am coming to my
last point. Mr Elvin, again rather bravely, stated that there
was material in Bengali. There are three things wrong with that.
First of all, these must have been phantom materials because none
of the Bengalis appear to have ever seen it. Secondly, most of
my constituents do not speak Bengali, they speak Sylheti. Thirdly,
many of my constituents do not read at all. Many of the older
Bangladeshi origin people in my constituency do not read at all.
They were not communicated with. If you like, I will bring them
all here to tell you that they do not feel that Crossrail properly
communicated with them during this long period in which they had
a right to have their views properly taken into account. I can
fill this room and every room in this corridor with Bengalis who
will tell you that, Chairman. So I do not withdraw the case I
made that Crossrail only very belatedly undertook that which they
are required to by law, the race impact studies. Only when they
were taxed about their failure to do so by the Commission for
Racial Equality and only in the second round were materials in
Sylheti produced. If there were any in the first round they were
not seen by very many Sylheti speakers in my constituency.
10652. So I am very grateful to you, Chairman,
for the very kind way that you have conducted your management
of what I have had to say. I apologise if I have broken any rules.
I am grateful for the opportunity to come back on the things that
we have agreed that I can come back on. I have nothing more to
say.
10653. Chairman: You only broke a few,
George, but that is par for the course: one or two pieces of unparliamentary
language like the use of the word "bloody", and the
outrageous suggestion that Mr Elvin lived down a leafy lane!
10654. Mr Elvin: If only!
10655. Chairman: All in all, are you
concluded?
10656. Mr Galloway: Yes.
10657. Chairman: Thank you very much
for your attendance. We will take account of all the evidence
that has been given. We will adhere to the promises that have
been given from this chair about correspondence to you and your
right to respond to that. We will be in touch in that respect.
Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes today's hearing. The meeting
of this Committee will be tomorrow at 10 am. Order, order.
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