Admiral Sunil Lanba pays Homage to Martyrs at
Noida Shaheed Smarak, Noida

18 Feb 2017

Train passengers are handed more than £2000 a day in compensation from Scotrail amid complaints of cancellations and delays.

Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives have revealed £587,527 was paid out by bosses between April and December 2016 to commuters.

The majority of these payments were for delayed trains, as transport minister Humza Yousaf faced pressure on the quality and reliability of Scotland’s trains.

Of the half-million total, £340,000 was given to those who complained of delay, with £52,000 handed to others as a “gesture of goodwill”.

The Freedom of Information request also showed there was £178,000 paid out under various Scotrail “policies”, which the organisation describes as full or partial refunds given out to those passengers who feel the agreed level of service wasn’t reached.

In total, more than 40,000 people successfully sought compensation in nine months.

The table also shows a radical increase in both passengers affected and the amount of money paid.

In April, there were 1963 people who claimed £24,244 in compensation.

But by December, when the trains crisis began to intensify, that rose to 9224 claiming £94,878.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Liam Kerr said:

“The rising cost of compensation appears to reflect the nosedive in quality and reliability experienced by passengers on Scotland’s trains.

“It’s no surprise the bill has surpassed £500,000 for the last nine months when you consider the problems on our railways.

“As well as passengers, you have to feel for the staff who are doing their best with no help from the Scottish Government, and they will be wondering how transport minister Humza Yousaf ever allowed it to get this bad.

“And even if this cost isn’t coming directly from the public purse, passengers and taxpayers – including those who never even use a railway – will end up paying.

“It’s vital the situation on Scotland’s railways is sorted out.

“What worries me the most is, as with so many other public services, the Scottish Government has been completely neglectful, focusing on a renewed drive for independence rather than the day job of running the country.”

18 February 2017

Keith Taylor MEP: ‘These latest revelations expose the Government’s shameful decision to kowtow to industry lobbyists and roll back important recycling progress.’

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for the South East, has issued a stinging criticism of government Ministers as documents reveal the influence of plastics industry lobbying on the decision to cut UK recycling targets. The revelations come as the latest ‘Great Winter Nurdle Hunt’ uncovers widespread plastic pollution on Britain’s beaches.

The UK government quietly reduced recycling targets for plastic waste last year, after dozens of lobby groups and plastic producers pushed for lower rates, according to documents obtained by Energydesk. 

Energydesk obtained 62 of the 63 responses to a government consultation on recycling targets.

The majority of respondents to the consultation were plastic producers or industry groups. Of those, all pushed for a reduction in the targets.

Keith, a member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee, said:

“Plastic pollution is choking our oceans and our beaches, but the documents obtained this week demonstrate the UK Government appears more concerned with protecting the profit margins of multinational corporations and industry lobbyists than safeguarding Britain’s natural environment.” 

“It is extremely concerning that almost three-quarters of UK beaches are blighted by the raw materials of the plastic industry. These plastic pellets pose a significant threat to our precious wildlife and damage the health of our oceans and seas.”

“These latest revelations expose the Government’s shameful decision to kowtow to industry lobbyists and roll back important recycling progress. Far from being a party working for the many, the Conservatives prove, once again, they are the party of powerful and privileged vested interests.”

“We cannot let the Government use the EU referendum as an excuse further water down essential recycling targets. The EU Circular Economy Package sets an ambitious and common EU-wide target for recycling 75% of packaging waste by 2030. Ministers must make a firm commitment to maintaining and implementing these ambitious targets post-Brexit.”

“Plastic pollution does not respect borders nor national sovereignty. For the sake of the health of our oceans and our beaches, to protect our precious environment and our beloved wildlife, Theresa May must also commit to maintaining a close relationship with our European neighbours to combat the problem.”

Tweet

Back to main news page

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

The advent of Mr Trump on the world diplomatic scene is making some big changes.

Mr Trump has in many ways a very conventional US view of the world . He sees his main allies as the UK in Europe, Japan in the Far East, and Israel in the Middle East. He tells Israel he wants them to reach a settlement with the Palestinians, but he no longer insists on what that settlement might look like. He warns China on trade,and is friendly towards Taiwan. He  condemns the harsh words and warlike gestures  of North Korea. He is keen to tackle the persistent large trade surpluses run by China and Germany, which he sees as disrupting the world economy and fair commerce.  He wants a world of bilateral relations between nations, rather than complex diplomacy between jostling regional power blocs. The US has traditionally  been suspicious of international bodies taking too much power, and has often found itself in disagreement with the liberal consensus that tends to dominate in those institutions.

The biggest change he is proposing in US foreign policy is the reappraisal of the strength and helpfulness of the EU. Where Mr Obama saw the EU as a benign force, and looked to Mrs Merkel to be his best ally in return for his support for the supranational body, Mr Trump is concerned. He sees the dangers of an inadequately resourced European defence activity that weakens NATO further but still expects US military capacity to be the guarantor of the peace. He is concerned about the low level of the Euro allowing Germany to build a colossal export surplus. He sees how the current level of EU integration is creating a force against it in rising independence movements around the continent. He is doubtless not impressed that the IMF has run up large bills lending to the weaker member states of the Eurozone, when the zone overall is rich enough to  be able to handle its own financing.