Mr Martin Wyn-Griffiths

        Chief Executive

        Small Business Service

        London

 

 

                                                                        Date:  (Approximately 31-December-2002)

Dear Martin,

 

 

I mentioned very briefly some of the types of problems that people like myself face however I thought it better if I put the information in the following chronological order, I realise that you are extremely busy, but since you are involved in providing pathways for people such as myself it might be helpful if you had some direct information.

 

 

My situation as is follows;

 

(Incident #1 - 1995)

 

In 1995, while trying to start my business, I got involved with someone I had previously met through  Business Link Thames Valley, (from Wokingham), who said that he would finance my project for a percentage, but instead he tried to take away my business and that I would work for him, I had to resort to legal means to stop him.

 

 

(Incident #2 - 1995)

 

From 1995 until 1997 I resided in Hillingdon, Middx, I was advised by Hillingdon Economic Development Department to seek the assistance of West London Training and Enterprise Council

with my planned project to become self-employed.

 

(West London Training and Enterprise Council), promised to provide the necessary assistance and further informed me that apart from the help that they would give, they would also assist me in getting a career development loan, the conditions were that I had to have £15,000 of my own funds, because I was led to believe that they would help, I sold my house to secure the £15,000 that would be needed.

 

Despite several letters from them promising support, the Chief Executive, (Dr Phil Blackburn) stole my business and marketing plans and used the contents to get £1,76(m) from the Government Office for London, I was not given the help that they had promised.(I have documentary proof and witnesses)

 

In 1997, I wrote to Mr Tony Blair, and subsequently several government ministers and got absolutely nowhere, Then I was advised to write to Mr Stephen Byers, then at the DTI, who instructed the GOL to co-oporate, they then provided me with the original bidding document,

from this document, I discovered other evidence supporting my claim.

I then contacted Companies House and was told that the company (IT Skills Forum), whose (Chief

Executive - Ms Meenu Vora), was advised by (CH) to stop trading.

 

I discovered that a massive fraud had also been perpetrated by the then Chief Executive of West London Training and Enterprise Council in association and supported by Ms Meenu Vora) who set up one of the female directors of the Business Link in a separate company with £335,000 from the TEC, the company (IT Skills Forum) who were supposed to act as his consultants.

 

Between (1995 and 1997), the TEC through Mr Phil Blackburn handed over almost £2,5(m) to this company, which consisted of the Chief Executive (Ms Meenu Vora and an Administrator, - two persons) whose income during this time was equally matched to their expenses, (they were registered as a charity) but they also claimed £100,000 in VAT payments, which is illegal.(all statements are in CH annual reports)

 

Because I was left penniless after this fraudulent exercise I could not afford the cost of legal services and was in-fact denied Legal Aid by the Legal Aid Board, (whose response was that they could not afford to fund such a potentially costly case), I was however advised that I did have a case, so under the new (Civil Procedure Rules) I proceeded to process the case myself, only to find that the judge was not as sympathetic as justice demands.

 

The judge at West London County Court remarked that (You have refused to take legal advice), and when I replied that I was unemployed and living on income support and could not afford the cost legal advice, she replied (you may not be able to afford legal advice but that is your choice).

 

I was then ordered to pay the other side £1200, 00 pounds because it was deemed by the judge that I had not fully complied with the orders of the court when presenting my (Particulars of Claim) document to the courts, despite the foreword in the (New Civil Procedure Rules) by (The Lord Chancellor) who said that (cases should not be determined by breaches of technicality but by the facts).

 

Eventually, I have found a solicitor under the (Conditional Fee Agreements) (CFA), which highlights another problem area, his (Success Fee Agreement is 75%), he has remarked that normally he would charge 50% but in my case he will only go ahead on my agreement to a 75% (SFA), I had no choice and the case is coming before the courts on June 27^th this month.

So is this Ethnic Minority Justice?

 

 

(Incident #3 - 2000)

 

Also in 2000 I was sent to by SOLOTEC, in Bromley, to (Bromley Business Focus), whose director, (Mr David Bladon) had a contract from SOLOTEC to deliver business support services, I later discovered that Bromley Business Focus was trying to use the details of information that I had provided to them, (my documents, presented to them because they offered to help), for their own benefits, they were advised that I would take action against them and eventually stopped their planned seminar.

 

 

(Incident #4 - 2000)

 

Because of the above theft and fraud and the fact that I had started the business in the belief that I would be given help by West London Training and Enterprise Council, and my bank, the banks applied the maxim that if the TEC was not going to support me, then they would not, the business failed because I did not have enough money and I was rendered absolutely destitute and had to leave the home I lived in (it was rented).

 

As a direct result, I had to go away and think up a new idea for a business, (I developed a business training program “Tendering for Contracts” (TfC).

 

In 1999, I was introduced by the former Chairman of Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce

(Mr Dave Coles) of Wokingham, whom I had known since 1984, when I lived in Wokingham, to the current Chief Executive of Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, (Mr Frank Stroud).

 

During several meetings Frank Stroud offered to help and requested a copy of the TfC documents which I presented to both himself and the then marketing director, this took place in Feb 2000.

 

At that time I was planning to conduct a (TfC) workshop with the help of Business London South and Wandsworth Council, in Putney and Frank Stroud offered to send one of his managers to this workshop to see how it was delivered so that they would be better able to fit it into their programme.

 

A few days before the workshop date I was informed by (TVCoC) that they could not attend, I subsequently found out that on that same day, they held a similar seminar at Slough Town Hall, and have held a similar session in Reading on the 14-May-2002. I have been trying since Feb-2000 to contact Frank Stroud, he has not returned any of my calls since our last meeting in 2000.

 

 

(Incident #5 - 2000)

 

I discussed my new project with the local manager of the SFEDI in April/May 2001, I could not afford to pay but was advised that I should submit my project for preliminary evaluation, which I did, I was advised that all was ok and that I should pay when I could.

 

I paid in February 2002 and subsequently I had a meeting with Mrs Christine Tolson in April and she advised that it was an excellent project, but I had not provided all the information that was required, she requested a number of other information which I provided in April-2002, (3) very large envelopes plus floppy disks, I was informed that all was now ok and that the process would take (3) weeks, I have had had no information until the letter attached..

 

We are now almost at the end of June and, one year after my initial submission and I have heard nothing, I have contacted them on several occasion and been told a variety of stories, I have absolutely no document that they have actually got my documents, they have not respond in writing to any of my calls, I have extreme difficulty in getting in touch with the SFEDI business manager, he does not return my calls.

 

My new life, which has taken several years to rebuild after the incidents of (1997), depends on this project, my schedule is now three months over schedule and I cannot get any information from the SFEDI, each time I call I get another story.

 

Since I wrote this letter I telephoned again on Friday, ( week-ending 22-jun-2002) and got the attached letter by email, (they enquired if I had not got the letter in the post, I have not and at the moment, Monday afternoon, I still have not got the original in the post, so it was never sent)

 

The attached letter is not even on SFEDI letter headed paper, (and this is a firm charged with setting standards)  I have never had any dealings with this person who sent the letter and the person that I have dealings with since April-2001 does not return any of my calls, The chief Executive returns on Tuesday 25-June-2002, so I shall give her a call.

 

When I spoke with her in April, I voiced my concern about (a) the safety of my project and (b) that they person assessing the project had knowledge of the this type of project, she assured me on both counts.

 

The fact is that all the documents that they have requested, I have send in April, they have repeatedly assured me that they had all that they needed and everything was intact, my fear that that because of the various changes of staff, they have misplaced or lost my documents, they have never notified me in writing that they had any of my documents, despite repeated requests for confirmation, this is the first ever letter from them

 

End

 

My problem is that I and other little person(s), ethnic minority or otherwise are at the mercy government and other such institution(s) and individuals, We have no protection either in law or from any other quarter, the (four incidents) above are not isolated cases, and while I struggle under extreme economic deprivation and my daughter and her children has to exist with the assistance of the Thames Valley Borough Council, all my efforts to be gainfully self-employed has been thwarted by stealth by the very same persons that I have approached for help.

 

The results are that these incidents which started in 1995, has left me destitute, and at 61 years old it is not easy to find alternative forms of paid work being without money means that you cannot afford the luxury of legal advice, and under the CFA, (Conditional Fee Agreement) you are again at the mercy of a system that discriminate against you and deprives you of the justice that should be commonly available in a democratic and highly civilised country, no matter what the government says or tries to do, these are the facts supported by witnesses and other documentary evidence.

 

These are very serious matters, they destroy peoples lives, How can it be possible that in-spite of all the government says, (I cannot get any member of the government to look at my case), it is incidents such as these that permanently damage the lives of ethnic minorities, their children and their children’s children.

 

Bearing in mind the above documented and undocumented facts, supported by written evidence and witnesses, my query is this, What measures is the government able to put in place to ensure that these practices end, to ensure that each person has the legal protection which should be available to all and that the little person has access to Justice.

 

 

 

Best regards

 

 

Lloyd Sewell

16 Westdene Meadows

Cranleigh

Surrey GU6 8UJ