Bureaucratic talks about Treasury Tree

[elster]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politic...

When George Osborne asked if he could get a tree from B & Q rather than the cost of th £900 tree through the PFI agreement he got this response

"In a lunchtime speech to journalists, Mr Osborne said that the official memo asked: “Who would go and choose the tree from B&Q? How would we get the tree into the building from B&Q? Who would dispose of the tree after Christmas. Who would water the tree? Who would provide the stand for the tree? Who would get the decorations?” "

In the end one was donated, but they couldn't use a ladder to put the star on the top, as health and safety wouldn't allow it. So they had to balance on a chair.

[CoopR]

We really are doomed with these planks running our country

[turbobloke]

Looks like it'll take a while to get rid of the liabore mentality that depart-mental minions soaked in over a decade.

[thinfourth2]

And folk think changing one set of idiots for another set of idiots will change things

[turbobloke]

The new idiot had the right idea, now the ministry minions need changing too.

[anonymous-user]

Speechless....

[Odie]

Health and safety got it wrong, you are allowed to use a ladder.

You are not allowed to use a ladder for working at height for an extended period, you need to use a platform, hence the misuse of a chair..

[Busa_Rush]

Well, if you look at it this way . . . how much would you want to go and buy a large tree, supply the stand, pay London congestion charge on each visit (factor in one fine), parking, erect the tree, decorate it, water it for a couple of weeks and then dispose of it and clean up afterwards ?

I'd want more than £900.

Having said that I used to work for a construction company . . . we loved PFI . . . money for old rope in general.

[elster]

Odie said:

Health and safety got it wrong, you are allowed to use a ladder.

You are not allowed to use a ladder for working at height for an extended period, you need to use a platform, hence the misuse of a chair..

Each individual Health & Safety person for each company is different, they have unlitmate say on what rules have to be brought in.

[Tsippy]

Odie said:

Health and safety got it wrong, you are allowed to use a ladder.

You are not allowed to use a ladder for working at height for an extended period, you need to use a platform, hence the misuse of a chair..

I thought you needed an NVQ Level-X in Ladder Use to use a ladder in the workplace?

[mondeoman]

PFI for a fecking Xmas Tree??? Thats like getting one on a 4500% Credit Card and making no payments for 25 years...

We're doomed!