Contracts; and shifting the blame
If the new and unnecessary Forth Road Bridge authorised by the Scottish Government is being built by Germans from Chinese steel due to "European contract legislation", is it any wonder that the same destructive instuction was passed down the line to the Comhairle.
The fact is that parcelling up the contracts into smaller amounts would have resulted in local contractors being in the running.
But it seems clear that Government policy is to stuff the local businesses in the name of saving a few quid.
Penny wise, pound foolish.
The fact is that parcelling up the contracts into smaller amounts would have resulted in local contractors being in the running.
But it seems clear that Government policy is to stuff the local businesses in the name of saving a few quid.
Penny wise, pound foolish.
13 comments:
Angus,
Pray tell why the the new forth road bridge is not necessary. It is my understanding that it is approaching the end of its life and that there are also issues with the integrity of the bridge.
The Scottish company Morrisons is involved in the construction and I read that there is insufficient steel available in the UK - hence the need to look to China. Scotland of course once had its own thriving steel industry but that was decimated by the Tories.
Morrison is owned by Galiford Try
0841 with not inconsiderable help from the Labour Government
Call me a sceptic but the new Nicolson school appears to be progressing very well and looks like it may be finished on time ready for use at the start of the next school year.
Would this have been the case if the project had been split up and handed out around local contractors?
We shall never know. Maybe not as locals wouldn't take shortcuts by pouring concrete in arctic conditions.
True, we will never know, as no local contractor was allowed to price for the schools, in fact, when it was suggested that they join together to do the work, they were told that joint ventures were not allowed.
Hence the work going to a Farrans, Martin & Patton Joint Venture
UBC priced WISP as part of the Graham Constrcution team
10.14
Arctic? Minus 20 was it? More like minus two
This is taken from a piece by Ian Gray in today's Scotsman.
"The standard defence from both civil servants and council officials is that EU law means contracts must be advertised across Europe. While that is true, such contracts can specify very significant requirements for local employment, training opportunities and other community benefits which should give local companies a significant edge.Small businesses share can even be ring-fenced."
Was our council unaware?.
No, our council is very aware and that has been put to them on numerous occasions, one of the issues is the lawyers and people employed to form the tender documents are not smart enough and the other more worrying issue is that our local council has taken a grudge against local civil and building contractors, and the astounding thing is if you confront the council members about this one to one they will openly admit that to you, not all, but a good percentage of them.
How can these industries expect to survive when the local council is against them. serious questions need to be asked. The construction industry is the single largest on island industry. with unemployment at a record high and the council trying to floor our on island industries, what hope do we have Time for a clear out i feel.
There is enough evidence of incompetence to damn the lawyers and others involved in the formation of tender documents.The reluctance of councilors to deal with this incompetence, which is part of the job they are paid to do,leads us to the same situation faced by people in Shetland.The serious questions are being asked, those who ask them get verbally abused,and the questions go unanswered.
The actions of the people in Shetland show us a way forward.
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