Meat plant- value for money?

[WTF]

37 minutes ago, Numbnuts said:

Isn't the meat plant just to big and all singing dancing space without ever having the throughput. Bit like the Incinerator and probably the Power station. Wonder if the new test center will be a similar project. Money no object it would seem in these whims of the powers that be.  

pretty much,  but the test centre will be heading the new MOT regime so it will never be short of paying throughput.

[Banker]

10 hours ago, WTF said:

pretty much,  but the test centre will be heading the new MOT regime so it will never be short of paying throughput.

What new Mot Scheme?

[finlo]

14 minutes ago, Banker said:

What new Mot Scheme?

 

[The Duck of Atholl]

Ooh! an MOT scheme! Well that’ll put paid to a lot of dodgy motors on island!

[CallMeCurious]

2 minutes ago, finlo said:

 

The one they'll impose because of the agreement we just signed up to in Glasgow (coz they had to come back with a piece of paper to wave naturally) that will have something about testing vehicle emissions once a year in the small print. Which they'll 'discover' shortly after the new MOT centre opens and we will be obliged to carry out.

So while you are at it you might as well get a vehicle safety check for the bargain price (tax) of £100 (as it's a government monopoly). And you'll need your emmissions certificate as well as your insurance to get your tax disk.

On the plus front you should be able to import any vehicle of any age with a valid MOT certificate without going through the new MOT centre.

 

 

[Non-Believer]

2 hours ago, CallMeCurious said:

On the plus front you should be able to import any vehicle of any age with a valid MOT certificate without going through the new MOT centre.

You'll be lucky- there'll be some bollocks about, "We now test to a higher standard than the UK" so your new import will still have to be Manx-tested.

It's all about revenue and little else. The new Testing Station is costing upwards of £7.5M. That will require justification and repayment.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Non-Believer
extra bit

[Boo Gay'n]

14 hours ago, Gladys said:

No, it was the loss of the meat derogation.  I wonder how much that benefits other areas of export. 

Wasn't the derogation to do with the EU?  We might be able to go back to the old system now.

[Gladys]

Just now, Boo Gay'n said:

Wasn't the derogation to do with the EU?  We might be able to go back to the old system now.

Yes it was, but I think there's a belief that if we reintroduce restrictions, the EU will blacklist us for things like scallops and queenies.  That is why I wondered at the value of those exports and if the cost to our home meat industry is no longer justifiable. 

[Max Power]

14 hours ago, Gladys said:

No, it was the loss of the meat derogation.  I wonder how much that benefits other areas of export. 

The loss of derogation was to appease the supermarkets if I recall Gladys? The island was self sufficient and dealt with the huge tourism market quite happily. I was a butcher's boy from the age of nine, we supplied all eight SPCo ferries and numerous large hotels from our shop, and it was all supplied from the small abattoir on Lake Road too! 

Edited November 14, 2021 by Max Power

[Gladys]

1 minute ago, Max Power said:

The derogation was to appease the supermarkets if I recall Gladys? The island was self sufficient and dealt with the huge tourism market quite happily. I was a butcher's boy from the age of nine, we supplied all eight SPCo ferries and numerous large hotels from our shop, and it was all supplied from the small abattoir on Lake Road too! 

My understanding is that the derogation was an exception to the free trade concept of the EU and was a concession from the EU to protect our local meat industry.  It  was withdrawn by the EU as part of the price for our ability to freely trade with EU countries. 

As the majority of our exports are presumably to the UK, you do wonder if reintroducing some form of restriction would have any noticeable effect on our export business. The supermarkets may not like it, but from another perspective, if they can earn the same profits from Manx meat, would they care? 

[Boris Johnson]

2 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

You'll be lucky- there'll be some bollocks about, "We now test to a higher standard than the UK" so your new import will still have to be Manx-tested.

It's all about revenue and little else. The new Testing Station is costing upwards of £7.5M. That will require justification and repayment.

About time we had emission testing, there are some really knackered diesels in the islands roads.

Same for a test, some scrap heaps about too.

[Non-Believer]

32 minutes ago, Boris Johnson said:

About time we had emission testing, there are some really knackered diesels in the islands roads.

Same for a test, some scrap heaps about too.

There are indeed, there's no denying it. The problem to the economy is that some of them are being run by self-employed, one and two man bands, painters, gardeners, handymen, small builders and the like, most of whom are probably just scratching a living now.

If you impose, rightly or wrongly, too much of a further financial burden on them in respect of running their vehicles, you drive them out of business and into the responsibility of the state which then has to provide for them. Plus all that's left in their industries is the bigger concerns with less competition for the customers.

The DOI also have/had some crippling road tax rises on the back-burner for vans and light goods vehicles too; they won't have gone away.

Edited November 14, 2021 by Non-Believer
Typo

[pongo]

17 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

 some of them are being run by self-employed, one and two man bands, painters, gardeners, handymen, small builders and the like, most of whom are probably just scratching a living now

If they are doing a good job then they will be earning decent money and will not be driving a knackered old rust bucket.

Edited November 14, 2021 by pongo

[pongo]

I never understand why people are opposed to MOTs.

[pongo]

2 hours ago, Gladys said:

reintroducing some form of restriction

Today's consumers would quite rightly reject any political attempt to introduce import restrictions. It would be completely unacceptable.

And it certainly is not only about price. Quality, variety and choice are also important considerations.

I can see a strong case from a variety of perspectives for ending live exports. I can also see a strong case for subsidising the abattoir in support of Manx farming. However I have a hunch that many  some farmers would like an import ban AND to be allowed to continue live exports AND to continue to be subsidised.

Personally I believe that the island should not be trying to produce competitively priced food. It should only be a a premium product.

Edited November 14, 2021 by pongo