Another report—another waste of money

IN IT'S fourth special report, published in the middle of 2008, the Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) castigated British Waterways for wasting taxpayers money, writes Allan Richards.

Referring to British Waterways Status Options Review which considered various scenarios for the future of BW, including a move to the 'third sector', with the committee stating:

"We are unconvinced by the need for BW to spend up to £600,000 on a report by consultants on its future structure when it is by its own admission short of money. We find it hard to believe that analytical capability does not exist within BW, Defra or other public sector organisations that could have conducted this study at lower cost to public funds. BW should now explain why it was necessary to spend money of this order at a time when it was facing significant pressure on its finances sufficient for it to withdraw its support for the Cotswold Canals project."

Forgotten report

EFRA was exactly right, and the report lies largely forgotten with only passing mention made to it. Indeed, perhaps, BW would rather it be forgotten for one of the options considered was a charitable trust and the report did not recommend this approach. Indeed, the report recommended doing nothing in the short term:

"In our view there is no overriding short-term economic case for adopting the possible alternative model we have outlined."

In short, a complete waste of taxpayers money that could have been better spent on maintenance.

Another report

18 months later we have yet another report, and yet another waste of money. 'Setting a new course: Britain's waterways in the third sector', appears  to be little more another relaunch of BW's 2020 Vision. First we had a glossy brochure and a 'Government lobbying Government' launch at the Houses of Parliament. Next we had the Vince Moran/Simon Salem 'Roadshow', where they were unable to answer simple questions on the vision followed by an annual meeting dominated again by the 2020 vision. Now the expensive report.

BW knew, when it first launched its 2020 Vision , that its fate and the fate of the waterways was largely out of its hands. Why pretend otherwise? BW's Chief Executive, Robins Evans, ended his now famous 'better shape' statement by saying:

"We have to make every penny that we earn and spend count."

Certainly they are not practising what they are preaching! A complete waste of taxpayers money that could have been better spent on maintenance!