November 12: Can broadband promise be believed?

SO David Cameron is going to provide the whole of the United Kingdom with faster broadband by 2020?

Given that the Government can’t guarantee our electricity supplies in 2015, how are we in North Yorkshire going to power up our computers and charge our “smart” phones, so that we can use the “improved” broadband access?

The provision of better infrastructure in the United Kingdom is wholly out of synchronisation. London and Oxfordshire get exactly what they want. Scotland and North Yorkshire might get their basic needs in 2025.

Now it is announced that the Department of Transport, along with other Government departments, face a further 30 per cent cut in their budgets for 2016-2020. How does Mr Cameron do his financial sums, because mine don’t add up!

The “foreign” utility companies will deliver the infrastructure projects that will give them the best financial return. BT Openreach will put the cables in the ground that give them the best profit margin. None of them are not bothered about digital radio reception in Wharfedale; electricity supply to the Orkneys; flooding in Humberside, or railway infrastructure in Ribblesdale.

Unless the Government is going to subsidise their investment – and give them a guaranteed, inflated return from the consumer they aren’t going to spend their money.

The other truth is that Mr Cameron doesn’t care. He has announced that he isn’t going to be in charge for the next election, so he can make all these rash and un-connected promises now and then ride off and leave Theresa May and George Osborne to try and deliver them.

From: Gordon Bray, Grange Road, Golcar, Huddersfield.

I SEE that George Osborne has persuaded four major department to cut their day to day spending by eight per cent a year in order to tackle the government deficit.

Can I suggest that cuts could be made closer to home by reducing the number of MPs by half, along with all their attendant secretaries and advisors, and limiting the number of members of the House of Lords to, say, 100 and not replacing them until an existing member dies or retires and also insisting that the attendance allowance only be paid for a full day’s attendance? That should save a bob or two.

From: Ronald Hanson, Golcar, Huddersfield.

A SECOND Chamber is required to block financially immoral bills and make the Government and MPs in the House of Commons think about modifications.

However this will only happen regarding financial matters when there is a new government of a different party to the majority in the House of Lords and it has not had chance the to flood it with its own cronies.

This needs to change. The Second Chamber must be totally made up of members not devoted to any party, elected by the people of Britain, not installed by the Government and who have the wellbeing of all sectors of the British people at heart. It also needs to be completely independent of the House of Commons in order to debate bills that would unacceptably damage one sector and have the power to completely be able to block them.

Council’s eyesore

From: Harold Laycock, Sunnybank Avenue, Mirfield.

MANY people give their time freely on local projects in Mirfield, including the stringing of pendants on the town centre buildings. They are to be admired for doing so. However, in the case of the council offices, a line of soggy wet washing would have been more in keeping with this eyesore. The window frames are blackened and rotting, with plywood panels covering window and door panels.

More recently, a glass door panel has been vandalised. Like the king with no clothes, our councillors who pass the building regularly are either unaware of the problem or insufficiently concerned to do anything about.

Anti-social parking

From: Jennifer Wiles, Regional Director (North East), Living Streets, Ellison Place, Newcastle upon Tyne.

PAVEMENT parking continues to blight streets up and down the country. Cars parked on pavements act as an obstruction to people walking, especially for those who are blind or partially sighted, parents with buggies and people in wheelchairs.

At its worst, pavement parking puts people’s safety at risk by forcing them into the road. I am urging people to write to their local MP, asking them to vote for a bill on December 4 to put a stop to pavement parking. Let’s save our pavements for people and make our streets better places to walk in.

Missing the story

From: Judith Hubbard, Totley Rise, Sheffield.

IT was very sad that there was insufficient recognition in your newspaper of the superb results obtained by both the GB men’s and women’s teams at the World Gymnastics Championships.

The display of skill, dedication and team spirit was exciting to watch and admire.