From: Roland Browne
Subject: Thameslink rolling stock decision

It is important when awarding rail contracts to consider providing employment to UK citizens who are resident in the UK. This requirement should be written into the contract procurement details. The cost of providing unemployment benefit for UK employees who lose their jobs as a result of awarding the contract to an overseas contractor should be included within the financial consideration for contract allocation. Whilst the EU may create some constraints it is important for the UK government to stand up for the rights of British workers. Also the bid team at a UK contractor have some responsibility and their failure to submit a competitive bid does call into question some company issues.

We have already seen major UK household names snatched by foreign companies. There should be government legislation to prevent such actions (for example Cadbury).

The British government needs to do more to actively support British business. In particular the sustainability and renewable energy sector should have far greater government support. Based on current projections the UK will be short of energy within a few decades and dependent upon imported gas and oil. We need to develop a vibrant supply of our own energy generated from wind power, solar power, water wheels etc. There needs to be a revolution in sustainably generated power to supply UK homes and business. There is enough wind, sunshine and water waves in and around the UK to power the whole country. We need to harness that power.

Nuclear energy is a short term solution lacking long term answers about the storage of spent nuclear fuel. Currently nuclear spent fuel is stored at the expense of the British taxpayer in 24 hour secure monitored locations, for example Sellafield in Cumbria. Such spent fuel will need to be guarded for up to 250,000 years. By the time the fuel is safe for humans it will have cost far more to store and guard the spent fuel, than the value of the energy generated. As a result nuclear is an enjoy now, pay in future generations fuel source and simply creates problems for future generations, who will ask "Why are we paying for the mistakes of our forefathers?"

An active, energetic policy that provides significant and widespread financial support for the generation of sustainable power is essential if we are to have a secure energy supply that does not store up problems for future generations. Oil and gas will be severely depleted over the coming decades and by the end of this century people will be talking about a post oil, gas and coal era. We need to lay the ground works in place for that era.