Letters: Let's hope more reliable tram facts will be lined up

IN his letter (June 4) John Carson asks whether talk of inflated costs to terminate the tram contract and demolition of existing structures in the event of termination is an "extension of TIE's flawed objective and a cynical ploy by the council to get the project beyond the point of termination". I believe that it is.

The basis for council and TIE officials' belief that the city would have to return to the way it was prior to construction is apparently the Edinburgh Tram Acts.

However, I can find nothing in the Tram Acts to suggest such a doomsday scenario, other than to "remove from the road in which the discontinued tramway is laid the rails and any other works, equipment and apparatus that have become redundant; and restore, to the reasonable satisfaction of the road works authority, the portion of the road along which the discontinued tramway was laid".

So, the only section of tramway which could require reinstatement works would be affected roads (in this instance, only Princes Street) and even that would be up to the road authority, ie, Edinburgh City Council.

Members of the council's administration are accountable both collectively and individually.

Under the council's "Member/Officer Relations Protocol", they are entitled to receive from council officers "balanced, objective advice, full information and truthful reporting", whilst all councillors can expect "advice which is candid, expert and impartial". Presumably officers from TIE are required to be equally as transparent and honest.

The decision on the future of the tram project is of crucial importance to the council's ongoing financial position.

It can only be hoped that the information on which that decision is based will come from more reliable sources than the officials who have contributed to the project's current mess.

A J Bourne, Groathill Road South, Edinburgh

SNP and Lib Dems have let us down

I WAS mildly amused to read M Gray's recent letter (June 8), which attempted not to let any facts get in the way of a good rant. I write to remind M Gray of some facts.

Tynecastle and Broughton High Schools were instigated by the previous Labour administration, just two of 34 schools (yes, 34!) that were refurbished or rebuilt under their control.

Boroughmuir, Portobello and James Gillespie's high schools have yet to see a single brick laid for their replacement buildings. In total, the current SNP/Lib-Dem administration has instigated and delivered not one single school. Not one.

Overall "affordable housing" completions are no higher under this SNP/Lib-Dem administration than they were under the previous Labour administration. Despite all the spin about new council housing, not one single new council house has been completed in the four years of the current SNP/Lib-Dem administration. Not one.

I don't mind a bit of political banter, but "facts are chiels that winna ding".

Alan Boston, Rosemount Buildings, Edinburgh

Forget the courts, fight for power

THE Scottish Government will do absolutely nothing to save Scots from yet another gas and electricity price rise of 19 per cent and ten per cent respectively, being introduced by Scottish Power, which is wholly owned by the Spanish multi-national Iberdrola.

In energy-rich Scotland, whilst thousands of households, including many children, go cold, the SNP would rather pick fights with the Supreme Court than confront Iberdrola.

Will the SNP state why the profits of Iberdrola are more important than keeping Scottish children warm?

Ian Hain, Firrhill Loan, Edinburgh

Keep hotels out of the city centre

WE have done enough damage to our beautiful, historic city. If indeed we do need more hotels, let's build them on the outskirts. Let's keep the centre of the city as it is so as not to diminish its character.

Margaret Baxter, Prestonfield