UK GDP Preliminary Estimate Q4 2012 -0.3%

kabayiri

Generali wrote: »

In fact it's sucking manufacturing back into the USA too!

Absolutely. It's not a long term solution on energy but it gives them breathing space.

We postponed exploratory operations because of a few minor tremors, not more than 2 on the Richter scale.

A tremor of 2 makes a good DM story, but it is so far short of magnitude 6/7 it's untrue. Not worth the 18 months delay.

I happen to have a few spare Black & Decker drills if they run short too

StevieJ

AA [STRIKE]A[/STRIKE]

Thrugelmir

Wookster wrote: »

Well the government are missed a few tricks.

1. Why are there no huge multi-billion pound house building schemes? It is clear that the market is failing to deliver the number of houses required.

2. Why no airport expansion or other significant infrastructure projects?

3. Why no mass expansion of apprenticeship schemes?

1. Houses need to be built where the new jobs are created.

2. High speed rail link is already being planned.

3. Apprenticeships in what? The UK is very much service industry orientated.

Catapa

On a positive note the day after Cameron's speech in Davos:

• The euro hit an 11-month high versus the dollar today Friday after the European Central Bank said banks will repay 137 billion euros in cheap loans, reassuring investors that the banking system is on the mend.
• The single currency also hit a 21-month high against the yen, helped by evidence of an economic upturn in Germany.
• The euro reached a one year high against Sterling today.
• German shares led euro zone bourses higher on Friday as a closely watched sentiment indicator beat expectations, helping a key regionwide index extend recent gains to a new 18-month high.
• "Brexit" has replaced "Grexit" as Davos man's nightmare.

StevieJ

kabayiri wrote: »

Time to get fracking !

Pump the money into the Fylde coast fields; fast track approve development; and get us into a state where we are a net exporter of gas.

US is self sufficient now from being a net importer; we can follow suit.

Better still let us get stuck into those juicy South East fields, after all much better to be near the biggest consumers
http://buildings.westsussex.gov.uk/ePlanningOPS/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=1154

Generali

StevieJ wrote: »

Better still let us get stuck into those juicy South East fields, after all much better to be near the biggest consumers
http://buildings.westsussex.gov.uk/ePlanningOPS/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=1154

Perhaps it would be better to let the market decide. Put the land up for sale for fracking or house building and see who bids higher.

After all we discovered via the Soviet system that removing the price mechanism from planning leads to the Gulag. Best not risk making that mistake again!

Conrad

Wookster wrote: »

3. Why no mass expansion of apprenticeship schemes?

http://careers.guardian.co.uk/careers-blog/apprenticeships-all-time-high

Apprenticeships at an all-time high

New data shows there were more than 100,000 vacancies and
1 million applications for apprenticeships during 2012

Wookster

Generali wrote: »

The trouble with this stuff is you're just shifting things from one pot to another.

While unemployment is high(ish) there's unlikely to be a skills shortage or at least not one that can be solved by a few trainees.

It takes 20 years to build a major road and for a long as I can remember and in fact since before I was born people were asking where the 3rd London Airport would be built to cope with the VC10s that BOAC were buying.

The Government, I think, is doing what it can to encourage housebuilding by removing barriers to planning permission.

That would imply that all spending is equal which is not the case.

There are several tens of thousands of properties that have planning permission but are not being built as house builders cannot sell them at the current price levels!

Conrad

Wookster wrote: »

That would imply that all spending is equal which is not the case.

There are several tens of thousands of properties that have planning permission but are not being built as house builders cannot sell them at the current price levels!

Lack of mortgage availability has nothing to do with prices.
Nanny knows best as to wehther grown capable adults can sustain a mortgage. Until that changes we're gonna have a mortgage shortage.

kabayiri

StevieJ wrote: »

Better still let us get stuck into those juicy South East fields, after all much better to be near the biggest consumers
http://buildings.westsussex.gov.uk/ePlanningOPS/loadFullDetails.do?aplId=1154

Actually, the consumers for my frack gas are likely to be in China or India, because they will pay more! I'm not bothered which sites we use, to be on the safe side we should use both.