The article refers to CalMac being subject to “poor performance fines” which are levied when a service level agreement is not achieved. It is worth considering how effective these are.
Since government stands behind CalMac and maintains its financial viability, any such fines levied go back to government which then underwrites any shortfall to balance the books. This charade appears never to result in any individual being held accountable for the performance failure.
In contrast, were a private company to be subject to performance penalties for not achieving the service levels stipulated in their contract, there would be a direct financial impact on shareholders. They would make management changes to address weaknesses in service delivery, The result would be improved performance to the benefit of those using the service.
It is entirely appropriate that the Competition and Markets Authority has asked the Scottish Government to justify why it would award a further contract to CalMac without competition. It is possible that the Government’s thinking is as woolly as the argument presented in Mr Simpson’s column.
George Rennie, Inverness.
• I READ Alan Simpson’s article with interest.
Why is it that the overseas transport operators which take over the operation of our train services cannot provide a reliable and cost-efficient service here? Is it the funding model, the employees or the infrastructure? They seem able to run a reliable service “at home”.
Allan McDougall, Neilston.
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The worst economic self-harm
MANY of us in Scotland would argue that Brexit was the worst economic self-harm we have inflicted on ourselves in our lifetime.Yet Ed Miliband’s plan to decarbonise the electricity system by 2030 could run it close, with experts in the industry forecasting the first power cuts in 2028.
With the UK carbon emissions less than 1% of the world’s, Mr Miliband went, with Sir Keir Starmer, to Baku. It was easier to grandstand on the world stage given Biden, Xi, Putin, Modi, Van Der Leyen, Macron and Scholz were not there. Keir Starmer told the conference we will lead the world (we won’t); but there was no more mention of our energy bills coming down by £300. We are paying the highest prices in the world to finance the subsidies for renewable energy. (The OBR puts the figure at £12 billion this year.) During the General Election, Mr Miliband said Great British Energy would mop up the 97k jobs lost in the oil and gas industries, but the Aberdeen-based firm, with 500 employees, is an investment arm.
Tens of billions will be required in wind turbines and solar panels, more again to build pylons and cables for a national grid which will need to be reconfigured to carry renewables, which are intermittent and unreliable. Scotland’s onshore and offshore wind farms will take in billions in subsidies as the grid cannot transmit the required energy nor store it. It was never designed to shift energy from wind and solar farms, often in the North Sea and Highlands.Yet we must double onshore wind capacity, triple solar power and quadruple offshore, says Mr Miliband, or “we will be at the mercy of international gas markets controlled by dictators”.The biggest is the USA.
Today wind and solar power account for 34% of UK energy. It may hit 44% by 2030. It will take at least 15 years to link the wind farms.The Royal Society Report said UK energy storage requires 1,000 times more capacity than we have now. Labour, which has reneged on saving Grangemouth, is finding billions for carbon capture hubs in Northern England but Peterhead is ignored. As for nuclear, Hinckley C and Sizewell C and the new smaller ones will not be online in 2030.
At a time when one Scottish opinion poll showed independence support at 59%, it is worth recalling that Scotland generates enough renewable energy to meet our needs and exports £1.5bn worth a year. Add to that the Rosebank oilfield, which could extract 500m barrels of oil and be worth £25bn to the Scottish economy, and dramatically reduce our reliance on oil imports. Only the UK is refusing to grant new oil and gas licences. As the late Alex Salmond pertinently asked, “if the price of wind has not trebled in recent years, why have Scots’ electric bills?
John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing.
The damage to our tourism
THERE is a TV programme, Escape to the Country, which I try to watch whenever it is set in Scotland as it is a reminder of the beauty we have on our doorstep in Scotland which at present we take for granted. This programme is a wonderful window on rural Scotland and must boost tourism as it shows a wide variety of beautiful locations, some off the beaten track. In every case I have seen, the presenter and the escapees, usually from England, comment on the breathtaking views and scenery at the places they are visiting, which looks to be the prime mover in their wish to relocate here .
The letter from Neil J Bryce (December 21) on the Transmissions Pathway to 2030 is a welcome wake-up call to the desecration of scenic Scotland which the proliferation of these monster pylons will do as they march across the countryside. Is it too late for common sense to prevail and for the focus to be instead on SMRs as mentioned by Mr Bryce?
Apart from any nimbyism, which I believe can in these circumstances be a perfectly reasonable objection, has there been sufficient consideration of the inevitable damage to tourism which is a major part of Scotland’s rural economy? Do our political masters really believe tourists will continue to flock here to gaze at these monstrosities obliterating the beauty of the countryside?
Alan Fitzpatrick, Dunlop.
In footsteps of Liz Truss
I’LL pass on the use of Latin to respond to George Morton’s highbrow defence of Brexit (Letters, December 24). I want simply to challenge his assertion that “ those who argue that free trade with anyone anywhere is our natural right” are correct, and therefore “Brexit is a step in the right direction”, by reminding him of the recent best example of that philosophy. Her name is Liz Truss. ’Nuff said.
Barry Docherty, Glasgow.
Reeves has scuppered growth
IT has become abundantly clear that Rachel Reeves, having inherited one of the fastest-growing economies when elected, has extinguished the flames of economic growth with a single fire blanket, aka her Budget. This combined with Labour continually talking down the economy and we have a third-quarter growth rate of 0% with the danger of recession on the horizon. This Labour Government, driven by political dogma and discredited ideology, is causing untold economic damage to the country and one can only hope that after five years in power, its likely disastrous economic legacy is not irreparable.
Richard Allison, Edinburgh.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves on her way to delivering her Budget speech in October (Image: PA)
Who’s next to lose out?
FOLLOWING on from the Government’s decision not to compensate the Waspi ladies on the grounds that “it would not be an appropriate use of taxpayers money”, I wonder if thoughts are turning to the possibility of reneging on the payment of compensation to the wrongly convicted sub-postmasters, or victims of the contaminated blood scandal?
Christopher W Ide, Waterfoot.
Rugby trial
TOGETHER with a group of friends, I went to see Glasgow Warriors playing Edinburgh at Hampden Park on Sunday (December 22). Depending upon which team you support, it was a good game or a game to be forgotten. Whichever, the spectacle was utterly ruined by the excessively loud music that came on whenever there was an interruption in play, for an injury or whatever, and at half time. It was so loud that we could not hear our companions in the next seat. Why must they insist in ruining our afternoon for which we have paid dearly?
Steve Barnet, Gargunnock.