Readers' letters: Has council learned from tram mistakes?

As the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry finally nears completion many issues will be revealed, but has the City of Edinburgh Council learnt anything from their mistakes?

The current section to Newhaven has been beset with problems that must have delayed progress and increased completion costs way beyond those currently reported.

If the risks in the current business case are fully valued with regards to Force Majeure and Service Diversions, then there are huge costs which are not currently reported.

The NEC form of contract chosen by CEC as a solution to the contract issues that arose in Phase 1 have added greatly to the future completion cost.

The risk in this form of contract clearly attributes all the cost of the Covid pandemic to CEC. This means there is a huge bill to be picked up for all repercussions, including associated increases in materials/labour costs and time lost.

With regards to services diversions, CEC chose to split the project into two contracts (basically service diversions; and track laying) and took the risk that all the diversions would be completed before the track laying contract started, but this did not happen.

The delays to this contract, with associated costs are, as yet, not fully reported.

In addition, this phase was to be funded by Lothian Buses profits, which are now a dream, leaving Council Tax payers to face the bill.

John RT Carson, South Queensferry.

Scotland well served for renewable energy

Scotland has the fourth largest territorial waters in Western Europe with vast offshore energy potential to make Scotland a global leader in renewables, unlike any other country in Europe.

This week RBS released a report which suggests that meeting net zero targets would give Scotland’s economy a £22bn revenue boost between now and 2030.

Scotland currently produces six times more gas than it consumes and generated 27.2 terrawatts per hour of renewable electricity in 2021 which could power 204 million homes.

The Berwick Bank wind farm is set to produce enough power to supply Scotland’s homes twice over and worth over £4 billion to the economy with half of the output being exported directly to Northumberland.

As much oil and gas has been extracted from Scotland’s North Sea as in Norway and the UK government still sees this as a cash cow with over £12 billion in taxes expected this year.

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh.

Time to ban trophy hunting imports

A ban on trophy hunting imports into the UK is long overdue and on 25 November the Commons will debate a private member’s bill which, if it succeeds, will finally put a stop to hunters bringing back the body parts of animals they have killed.

Animals shot by hunters often endure a prolonged, painful death before their head and other body parts are chopped off and sent home as “trophies”.For as long as we allow these shipments into the UK, the nation is complicit in the slaughter of elephants, lions and other magnificent species.

As an animal-loving nation, trophy hunting flies in the face of the British public’s values.

PETA urges everyone to rally behind this proposed legislation by contacting their local MPs and encouraging them to show support for the bill so we can finally end our involvement in this cruel and bloodthirsty business.

Elisa Allen, PETA, London N1

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