Sir, The report on imported Thai chicken being sourced by Tayside Contracts via the Scottish Excel Contract is another example of where the procurement people employed in the public sector pay no more than lip service to the politicians of all parties.
Despite the UK and Scottish governments encouraging indigenous private businesses to take on apprentices to help grow their business it is a fact that the businesses who engage and supply the public sector continue to be denied access to much of this business by the relentless pursuit of procuring via a monolithic framework agreement that hands all the business nationwide to one or two large, sometimes multinational, suppliers (some of whom might not even pay their fair share in corporation tax).
The culprits in my view are the so-called professional procurement staff employed by quangos who seem incapable of thinking beyond these destructive frameworks that deliver a service that primarily takes account of a bottom line saving with little or no reflection on the true cost in terms of the much wider overall socio-economic impact, as displayed in this recent chicken debacle.
It is time our elected representatives said: “Enough is enough.”
Galen Milne. Ochiltree, Dunblane.
A civil matter the company have to pursue
Sir, Dr Sharon King asks whether it is legal to be fined for parking in a store car park for too long.
If she reads the “parking ticket” carefully she’ll find it is not a fine but rather a bill for parking.
The bill, if not paid, will not be pursued by the police or any other public body as it is a civil matter.
If the car parking company wishes to pursue the debt, they will first have to find out who was driving the car as they can only pursue the driver not the owner.
The car owner is under no obligation to provide details of the driver and the parking company will find it impossible to pursue the debt in court if they do not know who to pursue.
This happened to me and after researching the internet, I did not respond to the first or subsequent demands and after three letters they gave up and I heard no more about it. Apparently you can also reply to their initial bill and inform them that you will charge them for any subsequent replies.
John Strachan. 23 Beechwood Avenue, Glenrothes.
Beach looked like a tip
Sir, After a fine weekend and on a fine morning my wife and I walked along the west beach at Arbroath, as we do frequently.
The amount of litter was disgraceful: bottles, cans, food wrappings, plastic bags and other plastics, used nappies, etc.
The worst aspect was that some louts had thought it fun to break beer bottles on the concrete steps.
When we went up to walk along behind the sea wall to the car we were amazed to see no fewer than four council vehicles in action.
One was a small refuse truck with two men with pick-up sticks gathering litter (but not from the beach one looked over but quickly withdrew), followed along the path by a road sweeper (which had nothing to pick up since the other two had done it).
On reaching the paddling pool and cafe area we came upon another small refuse truck; the driver was emptying the general waste bins.
We had just reached our car when yet another sweeper arrived. It was a pavement sweeping vehicle which had come along from the football ground area.
The driver failed to complete the pavement length, past the new play area. If he had he would have rich pickings. Instead, he turned and drove back along the road.
All very commendable, you may think, that the council is making the effort to keep the place tidy. But it counts for naught if the beach is left looking like a tip.
John Dorward. 89 Brechin Road, Arbroath.
At least no Alex at Muirfield
Sir, I have found it almost impossible to watch any recent sporting event without the Scottish First Minister popping up waving his saltire. It is therefore a huge relief that this year’s Open Championship at Muirfield has been guaranteed “Salmond-free”.
This may be the best argument yet for continuing to award golf events to iconic courses associated with single-sex golf clubs.
Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.
A record?
Sir, Recently I have been able to hold barbecues on six consecutive days. Does this qualify for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records?
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.