Examination of Witnesses (Questions 2940
- 2959)
2940. CHAIRMAN: Yes, very well.
2941. MR ELVIN: Before I sit down, could
I raise the question of order? The original idea was that we would
call our witnesses as a group when we had heard all the Petitions,
and I understand the Committee was content with that. Matters
have been made a little difficult by the need to re-jig the timetable
to accommodate individual Petitioners, and whilst ideally I would
have preferred our witnesses to be called to deal with all the
evidence in one go, I wonder if the Committee would mind if we
interpose witnesses as and when time becomes available so that
we use time in the best way possible. For example, Professor Mair,
if he needs to assist the Committee on some of the settlement
issues, can only be here on Wednesday, so if the Committee finds
it acceptable I propose that we call Professor Mair after hearing
the Petitioners on Wednesday.
2942. CHAIRMAN: A lot of the Petitioners,
of course, have raised this point and as long as they know that
he will be here on Wednesday, and they now do, in that case they
can address the point then.
2943. MR ELVIN: In addition, in direct
response to the Petition this afternoon we were proposing to have
Mr Leekes available if there was time, which I cannot see, or
whenever, and possibly Mr Thornely-Taylor if there is time tomorrow.
Unless the Committee wanted me to take a different course, I was
proposing to call Mr Berryman right at the end to sweep up any
additional points that were raised and to deal with the general
issues regarding need, location, lorries and the like.
2944. CHAIRMAN: I think we have got to
ask the Petitioners, they have already done a great deal to co-ordinate
their presentations, and they ought, I think, to realise there
will be witnesses saying things of great interest to them who
may not always coincide with their own attendance at this Select
Committee. If they know that this is so they can make arrangements
to be here.
2945. MR ELVIN: Thank you, my Lord.
2946. CHAIRMAN: I think the first of
the Petitioners is due to be the Community Association, is that
right? Please make sure you have got all the things that you need.
The Petition of the Spitalfields Community Association.
MS JIL
COVE, appeared on behalf of the
Petitioner.
2947. MS COVE: Good afternoon, my Lords.
My name is Jil Cove and I am Secretary of the Spitalfields Community
Association. Before starting on my presentation I would like to
seek some guidance from the Committee regarding timing. I understand
that you are intending to sit until 4.30 this afternoon.
The Petition of the Spitalfields Community
Association
2948. CHAIRMAN: Yes.
2949. MS COVE: My evidence is certainly
to take us past that time. I do have here Dr Jeff Safir, who is
our local GP, who is only able to be here this afternoon to give
evidence to your Lordships with regard to the issues relating
to Crossrail and the impacts that will have. I was planning on
calling him first in any case but wanted to do a bit of an introduction.
2950. CHAIRMAN: If he can only be here
today, and I knew he was going to come and mispronounced his name,
I am afraid, I think it would be much better if he gave his evidence
straight away.
2951. MS COVE: Okay. I cannot come back
tomorrow morning but could come back tomorrow afternoon to complete
my presentation but it will not be finished by 4.30.
2952. CHAIRMAN: You have divided up the
material between the various parts of the community, have you?
2953. MS COVE: I hope you will be relieved
to hear that I am not going to be dealing with any of the technicalities
that you have heard both Mr Carpenter and Mr Elvin refer to this
afternoon. My plan, on behalf of the Community Association, was
to deal with specific issues relating to the health impact of
the Crossrail project on Spitalfields' residents, the matter of
lorry movements and schools and the Community Liaison Panel. I
will not be referring to any of those technical details.
2954. CHAIRMAN: I am sure we can accommodate
it if you cannot come back until tomorrow afternoon but I do not
know that we will necessarily have finished with whoever it is
who is going to go tomorrow morning. I cannot interpose people
continually.
2955. MS COVE: I understand. I will finish
tomorrow afternoon, do you think?
2956. CHAIRMAN: Why do you not call Dr
Safir now?
2957. MS COVE: I would like to call Dr
Safir to give his evidence.
DR JEFFREY
SAFIR, Sworn Examined by
MS COVE
2958. MS COVE: Could I ask you to introduce
yourself and describe how long you have been a GP in Spitalfields?
(Dr Safir) Yes. My
name is Jeffrey Safir. I have been a GP in Spitalfields entirely
for 35 years since 1973 and I think I really know the health implications
of the area more than probably anybody else.
2959. Thank you. Can you then describe the general
state and social conditions of Spitalfields and how you see the
impact on the health of the residents?
(Dr Safir) The Spitalfields ward is one of the most deprived
areas in the whole of Great Britain. Under the old Jarman Index,
which was an indicator of health and social needs, the Spitalfields
ward was joint top in the whole of the UK. Things have not really
improved very much since that time. We still have a massive amount
of illness, massive amount of poverty, massive amount of social
deprivation. My own practice has 13,500 people, mainly from the
Spitalfields area. We have 40% Bengali population who are an extremely
ill part of the community, not only because of the social deprivation
and the overcrowding and high birth rate and everything else that
goes with deprivation, they are a very ill population. We have
massive amounts of every disease going. We have massive amounts
of heart disease, lung disease, asthma, diabetes, you name it
we have it, we have it the most. 40% of our population are Bengali
but they take up 80% of all our disease registers, with the exception
of epilepsy. We have a very poor population. The area we are dealing
with is known as Banglatown and it really is a ghetto area. We
have very poor housing. We have several families living together
in very squalid conditions. It is very common to have five people
sharing a bedroom and three families living in separate bedrooms
sharing one kitchen, one toilet. You go into the houses and there
is just bed after bed after bed and if one of them gets ill, they
all get ill. There are genetic reasons and mental health reasons
why the area is high on the deprivation list. Hearing Mr Elvin
talk, I do not think he has taken into any account that we are
dealing with people here, all I have heard today is European rules
and digging and rulings. We are dealing with an area that is lived
in by very, very poor people who really do not have the ability
to look after themselves with their own health issues and certainly
do not have the ability to look after themselves with social issues
or major issues like this.
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