Seeing as we have The Budget due on Wednesday, it is usual to see it being dribbled out in the days leading up to it through a variety of leaks in the media.
This one in particular caught my eye…http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/9936333/Budget-2013-Helicopter-rescue-poised-for-privatisation.html
So it has been announced that a number of public assests are going to be privatised, notably the helicopter rescue/Search & Rescue services that cover the UK, and also possibly the Highways Agency, and I thought I would discuss these on here.
So first up, the helicopter rescue service…this is currently provided by the Royal Navy, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and the RAF, and the new contract is expected to be awarded to Bristow, a US listed company, instead of Bond Aviation, a UK-based firm.
Now maybe I’m missing something here, but why are we looking to give contracts away to companies in other countries when there are perfectly capable UK-based firms waiting in the wings that could take it on and deliver a decent service, thus protecting UK jobs/workers?
As for the Highways Agency…not much information is provided in the article other than a suspicion that it could also feature in the Governments privatisation plans, however surely if this “asset” is hived off to the private sector, this will in effect steam-roll through plans for road-pricing, as any private company is only going to want to make a profit from doing the work that is necessary to keep our road network in good condition, and the only way they’ll be able to do this is by further taxing the people who use the roads (i.e. motorists/hauliers), thus people will be forced to give up their cars, the trains won’t be able to cope (they can’t even cope now!:D), and things in general such as food and other goods that are transported via road across the country will become more expensive because the hauliers will simply have no choice but to hike up their prices to cover the additional costs…and thus consumers will loose out.
Whilst I’m kind of in favour of privatisation, because if there is a department/organisation that is run by the public sector at a huge cost that could be run easier and cheaper in the private sector, why not…it kind of makes sense, but in the examples I’ve given above…the Government are solving one problem with one hand as they will generate quite a bit of money from this, but in the long-term they will create x10 more problems, and thus it will have a seriously adverse effect on the country and us as its citizens?
Anyone agree; anyone else have any thoughts, ideas, opinions…please feel free to post below.:)
By: Wokka Bob - 24th March 2013 at 21:23
Privatisation of SAR has been a long time coming and not a surprise to the military. Bristow’s did a sterling job in the Falklands for a number of years and IIRC accidents per flying hours are comparable with other operators to the hostility of the environment.
Bristow’s will bring new aircraft to the table some to be built in the UK. The S92, if it performs to close to what the company presentations envisaged then all is well. SAR crews were suitably impressed with it. It must also be remembered that a great deal of SAR aircraft engineering is already in private hands. I wonder how many military SAR crews will be drafted in to retain experience?
As an aside, SAR was often seen as a rest period away from intense operations such as Afghanistan. I wonder where will these crews wind down yet maintain their skills in the future?
By: Lincoln 7 - 24th March 2013 at 09:35
Joking apart, the RNLI don’t charge a penny for saving you bum when rescued, but I think the French rescue services do, or they used to, when I had my boat/s.So what you suggest, may become fact, and not fiction.
I.M.H.O. all those who take a boat of whatever size to Sea should have Insurance to pay for rescue.
The same thing applies to Pot- holers, who have to be rescued, and Mountain climbers,Look at how many have died in Scotland this year so far, not to mention those who have been rescued.Incidents like Boscastle, are a different matter, and should be kept free.Look at how many helicopters were used in that rescue.
Many of these rescue services are paid for by generous donations by the Public to keep them up and running and don’t come cheap.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: EGTC - 23rd March 2013 at 23:07
Under privatisation when the search and rescue helicopter comes out to pick you up are you charged for the call out and then charged per a minute until they find you? :rolleyes:
By: Lincoln 7 - 22nd March 2013 at 17:49
God forbid G4S has a hand in it. 😮
Jim.
Lincoln ,7
By: hampden98 - 22nd March 2013 at 15:09
There is an element of national pride in operating a military Air Sea Rescue service. The government keeps going on about broken Britain. Isn’t this just another way to break it?
I’m proud when I sea a British, RN, RAF or whatever Air Sea Rescue helicopter fly over. Don’t think I’ll feel the same with Joe Blogs Rescue Servs.
By: trumper - 19th March 2013 at 19:12
Tell me which ex nationalised companies are now better since being privatised.
Once the cream has been scraped off by the fat cats look at who pays for the rest of the depleted systems.
Mining–gone
Post office -we are down to 1 delivery a day
Manufacturing –oh dear
Water – drought ,flooding ,need more money
Electricity–lets get the French to build some more nuclear power stations
Railways-one firm fighting another,**** covering exercise
Don’t get me wrong things in the did need changing but that was murder and now we pay for it.
Claire Rayner may have to come back and haunt this lot i feel over the NHS
By: silver fox - 18th March 2013 at 20:12
Privatisation of public services and utilities has, is and continues to be an unmitigated disaster for the general public, monopolies created by government and we pick up the tab.
Private sector working in a true open competitive market fine, gifting monopoly positions to the private sector is just a licence for the companies concerned to print money, we can all see right before our eyes just how we get taken to the cleaners by the energy companies, what choice do any of you have with your water company? the railways are still picking up subsidies, parts have had to be taken back into public ownership, surprise, surprise reading the other day about the one rail franchise that no-one wanted because it was uneconomical, but is actually paying more into the public purse than any of the super efficient big boys.
This is what Tories are all about, hand essential services to the city financiers and speculators, then when the brown stuff hits the rotating object sit back with “not me guv” face on.
All the imposed cuts on local authorities are in the same mold, central government make the cuts, but pass the buck to local government.
Yes we need efficiency in our services, yes we need economies, but gift aiding the financiers simply passes the problem straight onto the general public and we have no options.
By: Lincoln 7 - 18th March 2013 at 12:30
The contract being awarded to Bristows?, they are the ones who fly to the Oil rigs arn’t they?.
They have had several crashes, travelling to and from the Rigs, and surly a firm like Bond, would be better.
Why the hell we keep giving away Contracts to foreign firms, beggars belief,I mean things like Cruise ships, some owned by P&O being given a complete overhaul, by any E.U. Country except GB.
Back Handers spring to mind.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: jbritchford - 18th March 2013 at 12:17
Given that all of the assets for the heli-rescue service will have to be UK based, I don’t imagine it will have much of an impact on UK jobs, the only thing I would be worried about is profits being shipped overseas.
My only gripe about privatisation is that private firms will do whatever makes them a profit, whatever the results. An example could be private prisons in the US, which spend vast sums buying (sorry, I meant lobbying) politicians to pass ever more draconian laws, so they get more prisoners for longer, thus making them more revenue. A private company’s only duty is to its shareholders, everything else is just a means to an end, and I’m not sure that public services should be run like this.
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March 18, 2013 at 10:31 am