The waterways suffer

RAY Robinson is correct that the architect of the failure of Defra to pay the farmers their single farm payments in time was indeed our caravaning friend, Mrs Beckett, writes Tony Collins.

Unlike her colleagues in the Scottish Office, she oversaw installation of a system so complicated that the civil servants found it impossible for it to be made to work.

No interest in waterways

When he was appointed Waterways Minister Barry Gardiner did nothing to alleviate the problem and clearly had no influence and/or interest in the waterways. He was merely holding the job until a better one came along. When such an offer did arise, he was gone like a shot out of a gun, leaving the mess still to be cleared up.

I remember speaking to an ex-civil servant of one of the higher ranks at the time. When I asked what HM Treasury would be doing about it, he was unequivocal—"The treasury will not pay for cock ups. If a minister makes a hash of anything, it is up to the department to recover the cost."

So once the mistake had been made, the department was on its own. I gather this is a general Civil Service rule irrespective of which party is in government.

Undemocratic and hopelessly inefficient

Likewise the mistake of abolishing British Waterway (triumphantly listed as one of the 'Quangos' that the government burnt), and landing us with the undemocratic and hopelessly inefficient Canal & River Trust, will be at the cost of the waterway user, with no regard to the industrial heritage that is slowly slipping away.

As we all know that if it hadn't have been for thousands of enthusiastic volunteers the inland waterways would be virtually non existent. Yet this all counts for nothing now that the principal officers of CaRT have their hands on a pretty cushy number for the foreseeable future. They can and certainly appear to safely ignore any trustee who raises any point which might affect the status quo.