Letter from the Robert Syms MP to Petitioners
13 July 2015 (updated on 15 July 2015)
The Chair of the High Speed Rail Bill Select Committee, Mr Robert Syms MP, writes to Petitioners regarding the Chilterns Tunnel and other issues
Dear Petitioner(s)
HS2: Chilterns tunnel and other issues
The Committee's letter of 18 June 2015 suggested a number of options for petitioners.
Some petitioners have written to associate themselves with other petitioners. Others are deciding how to proceed and may do likewise, or form groups. A number of others wish to appear on their own behalf. All of these are of course entirely legitimate choices, as are appointing an agent or attending in committee to indicate agreement (which the letter also mentioned).
It is perhaps worth emphasising a few points:
- The petitions categories A to Q are categories of petitions with similar or identical content and wording (although group Q contains petitions which are hybrids of similarly worded petitions, so there is less similarity between petitions in that category).
- The case for the tunnel cuts across geographical location. We considered that one way petitioners might wish to organise themselves might be in accordance with the arguments as set out in their petitions. The categories reflect that.
- However, the categories are not in any way mandatory. If you want to associate yourself with, or group with, another petitioner outside of a category, please do. You might prefer an association or grouping based on geography, for instance.
Depending on the extent of grouping and association and other options and on the view the Committee reaches after the July hearings, there will still be some, possibly many, individual petitions to deal with in September. A provisional programme is included below. This runs by geography, approximately north to south. It does not yet reflect all actual grouping because a lot of that is still work in progress, but there are slots for each day to reflect where groups would appear.
Further Chilterns petitions will be heard in October, for which a separate programme will be published. (see below)
The September programme lists a large number of petitions for each day. There will be time to hear each petitioner provided petitioners focus on matters of individual concern. By September, the Committee will be highly familiar both with the arguments for extended tunnels and with other petition issues, so there will be no need for those familiar arguments to be rehearsed. Buckinghamshire County Council, when they appear in July, will set out the main arguments on non-tunnel as well as tunnel points. Depending on what we announce following the July hearings the Committee may wish to hear from petitioners appearing in September on both tunnel and non-tunnel issues.
The allocations of time take account of local population and the extent and effects of the proposed line, consistent with the Committee's approach elsewhere. The provisional programme allows for approximately a day and a half for each Chilterns community.
The Committee has asked Mr David Walker, the programme manager for the Committee, to distribute this letter. If the provisional date for your hearing is unsuitable please contact Mr Walker by Friday 24 July. Once the programme has been finalised, Mr Walker will send you a copy of it to confirm the expected date of your appearance. The programme will also be published on the Select Committee website.
Finally, the Committee urges petitioners to take a concise approach to the number of pages submitted as exhibits. 12 or so slides are usually adequate for focusing on matters of individual concern. Please begin with your list of asks from the Committee. Please do not read out from a script. If you have a statement, we will display it in the Committee room TV screens and read through it before you begin.