Examination of Witnesses (Questions 3960
- 3979)
3960. MR HORTON: Well, I was not. I was
dealing with my own position. I have not seen this, but, as soon
as I go from here, I shall be speaking with Ms Jones.
3961. CHAIRMAN: I think it is perfectly
simple. We cannot make any further progress on this point at all.
If I have identified the point correctly, and you at least agreed
that I have, I do not think we can make any further progress on
it until there has been a proper exchange of documents and time
for them to be considered.
3962. MR HORTON: I think that is right,
I am afraid.
3963. CHAIRMAN: Is that right?
3964. MR ELVIN: My Lord, there is a series
of simple, legal answers to this and I think I can assist you
further with this without seeing any further documentation, other
than the documentation that is already before the Committee.
3965. CHAIRMAN: Yes, I dare say, but
I think we have got a duty to the Petitioner to allow them to
produce what material they wish, provided that they show it to
you.
3966. MR ELVIN: My Lord, this Petitioner
does not wish to put in evidence. This is a pure point of law
and I have a legal answer to it.
3967. CHAIRMAN: Well, then what is the
point of 200 pages?
3968. MR ELVIN: Well, this is for the
Petitioner tomorrow.
3969. MR HORTON: The work has been divided
up. The Spitalfields Society tomorrow adopt the legal submissions
made today and then seek to provide you with the evidential material.
3970. CHAIRMAN: I think the difficulty
that we are going to be in is that, if it is to be treated as
a main alternative, and we are being invited to make a recommendation
to the House to consider this on re-committal, as such, in accordance
with the Directive, I think we have to have some material upon
the basis of which we can say that it is a main alternative.
3971. MR HORTON: Exactly.
3972. CHAIRMAN: I do not see how we can
do that at the moment because we have not got any material at
all.
3973. MR HORTON: That must be right.
3974. MR ELVIN: My Lord, I am quite happy
to give my main submissions tomorrow in respect of both Petitions,
having heard the Society's Petition tomorrow, but I think it would
assist the Committee that the rest of the business today is for
you to hear Professor Mair and Mr Thornely-Taylor which can be
comfortably accommodated within a few hours, I should imagine.
If your Lordships would allow me, I can at least give you some
preliminary enlightenment as to what the position is.
3975. CHAIRMAN: Well, I think that probably
would help everybody, but it is without prejudice to what may
emerge from the material that we have not yet seen.
3976. MR ELVIN: Doubtless, I can produce
something in writing overnight as well to assist the Committee.
I will have to explain it to my wife again, but never mind!
3977. CHAIRMAN: If you want to give us
a preliminary submission on what Mr Horton has said now, we will
listen to it. It does not mean to say that you cannot make a submission
again when the totality of the case, including the evidence, has
been placed before us.
3978. MR ELVIN: I am very grateful.
3979. CHAIRMAN: That must be all right,
must it not, Mr Horton, if you are coming tomorrow?
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