YP Letters: HS2 will only drain the regions' talent

From: Arthur Quarmby, Mill Moor Road, Meltham.
Does HS2 offer value for money?Does HS2 offer value for money?
Does HS2 offer value for money?

AT a mind-blowing £55.7bn, the HS2 project which nobody except the establishment wants, is the biggest-ever infrastructure project in Britain – and the total is already forecast to rise (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, May 24)!

The establishment is determined to force this white elephant upon us because, as has been proved by similar projects in Paris and Tokyo, the outcome is nothing to do with a 20-minute shorter journey, but will effectively draw talent, enterprise and new businesses from the regions to the capital.

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If only the public were allowed a say about this, or even to express an opinion which would influence the establishment.

If all that vast amount of borrowing is to be undertaken, then how much better to spend it on the National Health Service – to the benefit of the whole country.

The award of an initial, exploratory contract of £1.4bn to Carillion, shortly before that company collapsed, is an excellent opportunity to cancel the whole madness.

From: Hugh Rogers, Messingham Road, Ashby.

HOUNDING Chris Grayling out of office wouldn’t make a scrap of difference. Like any other Minister, he doesn’t run the Transport Department, he simply represents it in Parliament. Yorkshire folk have far more important things to worry about than the railway timetable.

Aid cash tiny in proportion

From: Dave Roberts, Scunthorpe.

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WITH RESPECT to the letter from Karl Sheridan (The Yorkshire Post, May 25), he opined that “money in the Treasury’s coffers should be spent on getting this country in a fit state before worrying about other countries and their problems”.

He also quotes the figure of £13bn as what the DfID has to distribute each year.

That is truly a very large figure. However, it is only 0.7 per cent of our GDP, i.e. 70p out of every £100 the UK earns, which is the standard that the UN has set.

In mediaeval times, when people were far less prosperous, people tithed, and each gave 10 per cent of their individual GDP away, that’s over 14 times as much as that aid percentage.

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So that aid percentage seems a very small amount for us to give, as we are the fifth-richest country in the world, and so our aid is being distributed to many of the 190-plus countries who are not as rich as us.

I do agree with Karl that we, as the UK, are facing a number of serious problems. One difficulty with understanding our overall financial situation is that there is no transparency of it. George Osborne proposed issuing some form of accounts, but nothing has surfaced. All sorts of organisations from public companies to small charities have to issue annual accounts, but UK Ltd, not a jot! One sheet of A4 with the key details of the UK’s income, expenditure and debt would help us understand so much better.

Speed limits are outdated

From: Peter Horton, Ripon.

THE REPORT that 60,000 drivers have been fined for exceeding speed limits on Yorkshire’s motorways (The Yorkshire Post, May 26) just demonstrates the old adage that a law that is widely flouted is a bad law. It must be about 10 years ago that the Conservative Party said they would raise the motorway speed limit to 80mph – but it has not happened.

The comments of Brake are quite unhelpful where they seek to equate “speeding” with dangerous driving. The fact is that a rigid speed limit (70 mph) at all times, night and day and in all weathers, is inefficient and unrealistic. It takes no account of safe speed, which should be much lower in fog, snow and heavy rain, yet could be much higher in dry fine weather and light traffic.

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It may be the law for drivers to restrict their speed to a number on a sign but it has absolutely nothing to do with safe speed for the prevailing conditions.

The outdated 70mph limit was brought in more than 50 years ago when vehicles were much simpler, less safe and less efficient than today’s cars, and the attitudes of Brake and indeed the police are still stuck in the past, where they are happy to use advanced technology to catch drivers but not willing to recognise that the same advances have made ancient fixed speed limits redundant.

Prescription for active life

From: Hilary Andrews, Nursery Lane, Leeds.

I ATTEND an excellent older people’s group at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Heydays happens every Wednesday and us “oldies” can take part in a variety of activities including drama, music, creative writing, art and crafts.

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Last week we were delighted to see that Leeds Medical School had sent along three medical students to see what we were all up to.

Could this be the start of the revolutionary idea of GPs prescribing attendance at 
such an activity session in an attempt to prevent loneliness and keep our minds alert by meeting new friends and trying new things?

Such a simple concept but too hard for our ‘pill cures all’ society?

Cream of the Royal titles

From: Eddie Peart, Broom Crescent, Rotherham.

CONGRATULATIONS to Prince Harry on becoming Duke of Sussex.

It is a little known fact that the Queen owns the largest herd of Sussex cows in the world.

I recommend the Queen to try Yorkshire puddings, Pontrefact cakes or even rhubarb crumble. They are delicious.