Examination of Witnesses (Questions 3760
- 3779)
3760. LORD BROOKE OF ALVETHORPE: It seems
that you have some legitimate points to pursue but you need the
mechanism, the machinery to pursue them. There is the machinery
on offer and the argument seems to be more about the process rather
than the substance and you really have to break through on this
otherwise you are really not representing anybody at the end of
the day if you are not having discussions with the interested
parties. So it really is very difficult to see how we take it
forward unless you can make decisions yourself on who you are
prepared to accept.
3761. MS COVE: It is a panel decision
and I will take it to the next meeting and see what sort of response
there is.
3762. CHAIRMAN: Of course it is a panel
decision but it is a decision that the panel is going to have
to take. It is no use going on saying, "PAL is being paid
by Crossrail and therefore we cannot trust them," or something
like that. I do not know whether that is being said, but the attitude
at the moment is one that does not reflect the successful outcome
of this process at King's Cross, and I would think that you ought
perhaps to model yourselves on the later stages of the panel process
in King's Cross because that seems to have been much more effective.
3763. MS COVE: The King's Cross panel
of course is probably ended now because that was to do with the
Channel Tunnel, but we will make some contact with Paddington
and see how they are getting on.
3764. LORD BROOKE OF ALVETHORPE: Would
you be willing to accept the borough as the Chair, Mr Elvin?
3765. MR ELVIN: My Lord, I have said
that in the note. We regard the tripartite arrangement as one
which falls squarely in the undertaking we have given to the House
of Commons. The difficulty is that Planning Aid for London thought
that it would facilitate smoother panel meetings if the London
Borough of Tower Hamlets did not participate. If the panel want
Tower Hamlets to participate we are happy for any mechanism which
works, whether it is with Planning Aid, Tower Hamlets or ourselves—as
long as it works that is what we want.
3766. CHAIRMAN: That is about as far
as we are going to take it because it will have to go back to
the panel for discussion. Is that everything you want to say?
3767. MS COVE: I think so, you might
be pleased to hear.
3768. CHAIRMAN: I am sorry you got interrupted
but perhaps we made a little progress this morning over and above
what we would have been able to do last night.
3769. MS COVE: It gave Mr Elvin the opportunity
of producing answers.
3770. MR ELVIN: Just before Ms Cove goes,
I did say that there was a detailed note on air quality and health
impact. Would the Committee like that because I need to give a
copy to Ms Cove if that were the case?
3771. CHAIRMAN: I am sure Ms Cove would
like it.
3772. MS COVE: It would be very useful.
3773. LORD BROOKE OF ALVETHORPE: Lord
Chairman, could I make a suggestion? Looking at it, it seems to
me that Crossrail usefully could provide one of their officials
to go to them and take them through the documents, to all the
appropriate points in the relevant documents because it is all
there.
3774. MR ELVIN: If I circulate the note
on air quality now and give Ms Cove a copy, if the panel are willing
to meet with us we are more than happy to take them through the
details. They are the same details as have been publicly available
for the last three and a half years and we are more than happy
to have another go at explaining them.
3775. The other issue is, as Ms Cove mentioned
yesterday, I think, we have written formally to the panel setting
out a detailed response to the questions about remit, which reflects
what I have said rather more briefly. Would you like a copy of
the letter that we wrote to the panel, which is not in the exhibits
because it went out late? We have set out our position formally.
3776. CHAIRMAN: I think one more letter
will do no harm.
3777. MR ELVIN: In that case could I
circulate it and give a copy to Ms Cove, and we will email it
to her as well. (Same handed)
The Petition of Spitalfields Small Business
Association
3778. CHAIRMAN: Ms Cove, I think it would
probably be the view of my colleagues and myself that there must
be a workable liaison committee to deal with the sorts of things
you have been talking about; they are very important and we recognise
that. If the present panel does not work then something else will
have to be found that does, and it is really as simple as that,
otherwise we are going to miss the opportunity to draw upon your
knowledge and experience and indeed to attempt to deal with your
concerns because the apparatus and the machinery is not there.
So perhaps the panel could consider that. If it does not want
to do it itself it may be that some other organisation will have
to be set up.
3779. MS COVE: Some while ago I did actually
say that the Community Association welcomed the instructions from
the House of Commons to Crossrail and we were willing participants.
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