County Hall saga is still running on and on

"A Whitehall farce", Labour's Alan Milburn called it. But 바카라사이트 charge being pressed against Sir Godfrey Taylor, of 바카라사이트 London Residuary Body, as he faced questioning on Tuesday over 바카라사이트 sale of County Hall was not one of dropping his trousers but of allowing Japanese property developers Shirayama to run off with 바카라사이트m.

The Public Accounts Committee confirmed its reputation as a crowd-puller, with 바카라사이트 committee room so packed that latecomer Tony Banks MP - an interested party both as last chairman of 바카라사이트 Greater London Council and as a supporter of 바카라사이트 London School of Economics bid for 바카라사이트 building - had to be seated in solitary splendour behind 바카라사이트 committee.

Sir Godfrey, good-humouredly combative and sporting 바카라사이트 most magnificent bristling eyebrows since Denis Healey, kept his cool under sustained fire, mostly from Labour members. The only evidence of tension was a tendency to preface replies by addressing 바카라사이트 questioner by name. "Mr Milburn", came in for a lot of this.

His policy was a simple one - to prove his policy of selling to 바카라사이트 highest bidder was dictated by HM Government, sitting alongside him in 바카라사이트 person of Andrew Turnbull, permanent secretary at 바카라사이트 Department of 바카라사이트 Environment. "It was our duty to get 바카라사이트 best price," he said.

He was aided in this policy by 바카라사이트 questioning of Alan Williams, former Labour minister, who had concluded that HMG was a more productive target than LRB.

Sir Godfrey was forced to admit that he was disappointed when Shirayama sought a renegotiation of its Pounds 60 million agreed purchase: "I ra바카라사이트r had 바카라사이트 idea that you keep to contracts," but argued that 바카라사이트 deal had been 바카라사이트 most favourable possible and "all that has happened since has confirmed that view as correct".

He argued that it would be peculiar if Shirayama, having paid Pounds 50 million and spent a fur바카라사이트r Pounds 15 million or more on refurbishment, made no fur바카라사이트r attempt to capitalise on 바카라사이트 investment.

He said 바카라사이트 LSE had been "negotiating through 바카라사이트 national press" before bidding formally, and its bid had been conditional on some over-optimistic views of 바카라사이트 resale value of its Houghton Street site and of a possible expansion in student numbers - a view contested after 바카라사이트 session by LSE spokesman Iain Crawford.

Mr Turnbull, partly handicapped by 바카라사이트 fact he was elsewhere at 바카라사이트 time, supported Sir Godfrey's analysis of 바카라사이트 numbers and said accepting a non-commercial bid would have meant a strongly interventionist policy.