Forum Topic

French company wins licence to monitor British fishing boats

The business that won the tender to track UK fishing vessels wherever they operate, as well as foreign-licensed boats that operate in British waters, is Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), a French maritime surveillance provider.https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/french-company-wins-licence-to-monitor-british-fishing-boats-5dk8wp6grTaking back control?  Sounds similar to the passport contract?

Ivonne Holliday ● 2508d19 Comments

The fact we can set the controls is good who enforces them us neither here nor there as long as they are enforced. Surely a sign of an ongoing relationship with Eurooean partners rather than isolationism is to be applauded.

Andy Pike ● 2508d

Hello Andy,Hmmm, I wonder....  Giving the contract to a French firm, do you think there could/will be any conflict of interests anywhere by any chance? Is the British government confirming that there is no British firm capable of enforcing British controls on British waters?  An ongoing relationship with European partners is to be applauded, I agree. As I said before, the contract for issuing British (blue) passports was given to a Dutch-French firm.  Now the enforcement of British controls in British waters has been granted to a French firm.Is the message that the British government can legislate but no British firm can enforce/do?  It seems extremely odd to me.

Ivonne Holliday ● 2508d

Both contracts still under EU rules of competition . Services contracts around 126k have to be advertised across Europe and open for tender to all qualifiers After we leave fully that will not be so.

Andy Pike ● 2508d

Government just never seems to support our companies in the way that other European seem to do theirs.  If they did we wouldn't have so much owned and run by other countries.  I'm also surprised that the selling off of the aeronautical systems company to the US went through with no comment on here.

Philippa Bond ● 2507d

With a bit of help from Mr Google it looks like CLS are specialists in this type of satellite monitoring - and it is monitoring not enforcement; I assume UK law enforcement services and courts will be responsible for that after the Brexit  transition period, unless otherwise agreed in the trade deal between the EU and UK. Looking at CLS, although formed in France and owned by French institutions, they operate globally and have local subsidiaries in a number of countries so I think they would not want to risk reputational damage by being biased from any conflicts of interest.

Michael Ixer ● 2507d

At the risk of being accused of... well anything really (why should we always worry about we say, in case it's "inappropriate")What I wanted to say was that I think bringing back the slogan "buy British" would be a very good idea.  Of course for foods, but also any contracts, within the bounds of good sense and good business.  If Brits want to support their country, then they should put their money where their mouth is.  Not to mention the environmental impact of sending goods halfway across the world and said goods possibly made by children in terrible conditions.  And yes, I do know how they're better off doing those jobs than begging in the streets, but I don't think it's jingoistic to feel that each country should try to support its own first, including all the cheap trade countries like China, India, etc.  If we don't buy their goods they'll need to think again about the way they do business.

Bunny Payne ● 2507d

And as I said b4 when we leave the eu our public services will not be forced to include european contrators in tenders as dictated by the eu procurement directives. However we would not want to cut our nose off to spite our face if there were soecialists out there capable of doing the best job. The key is we would have the CHOICE.

Andy Pike ● 2507d

"However we would not want to cut our nose off to spite our face if there were soecialists out there capable of doing the best job.""soecialists"?For a minute, I thought that you were suggesting trading with leftwing countries despite their politics, then I realised that you might need a new keyboard, designed by specialists, for more mature fingers.

David Ainsworth ● 2507d

You're right David fat fingers on a phone keyboard!!

Andy Pike ● 2507d

Bunny, it's interesting to me that you say Buy British, I avoid Chinese goods where i can as I have had numerous items manufactured in China in recent years that that have been faulty of have broken far too quickly. Goods produced in the west are generally more reliable imho

Adam Tripp ● 2507d

Doesn't work — what does 'British' mean in the context of a manufactured or food article? Made entirely from British raw materials, processed and manufactured entirely in Britain, all using 100% British staff, working for 100% British-owned companies? Everything today is international. Whatever criteria you set down for 'British', companies will game the rules. If it is just the last step that defines 'Britishness' firms will have assembly plants that join two units into one product and box it up on British soil.

Sean Hodges ● 2507d

Sean. Agreed, we have globalisation and one can't turn the clock back. However, I'd agree with Bunny about buying local where feasible, particularly for fresh food produce, as that's a good way of reduce one's "carbon" allowance but of course Normandy could be more local than Scotland for those of us in London. Interesting about Adam having issues with Chinese products as I think one will find many "Western" products (Apple?) have Chinese components embedded in them, Huawei are world leaders in 5G, the Chinese have put a lander on the far side of the Moon successfully and may well be the next nation to land astronauts there. While we mess around wasting time in Europe with Brexit and the US follows a semi literate President who doesn't understand science the Chinese are just getting on a innovating ...

Michael Ixer ● 2507d

Interesting new gallery at the Science museum focusing on how London built it’s scientific and technical expertise, and was ambitious for the future.  Worthy of reflection in these times https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/science-city-1550-1800-linbury-gallery

Ruth Pates ● 2507d

Thanks for that, Ruth. I must get along to the Science Museum, I need to visit the Top Secret one as well.

Michael Ixer ● 2507d

"I must get along to the Science Museum, I need to visit the Top Secret one as well."Crikey, another one!?Where is this Top Secret Science Museum then?Oh, I suppose that you can't tell me.P.S. I have just heard that Betelgeuse is dimming. I blame Corbyn.

David Ainsworth ● 2506d

I don't think it was/is just having to go out to tender internationally.  It was support that other countries gave/give their own.  We managed to make ourselves uncompetitive.  Re buying locally - there's a great website called I think www.eattheseasons.org.

Philippa Bond ● 2506d

It's my cryptographic message about their other exhibition, David 🙂

Michael Ixer ● 2506d

And David, I assume you mean Piers Corbyn,  the WeatherAction man? 🙂http://www.weatheraction.com/

Michael Ixer ● 2506d

Oops it's www.eattheseasons.co.ukIt will help you to choose fruit and veg that is in season and plan around that

Philippa Bond ● 2506d