Plug could not have been pulled on TT world series plan any earlier, Tynwald scrutiny committee hears

[ManxTaxPayer]

‘I honestly don’t think we could have said “yes or no” any sooner.’

That’s what Department of Economic Development chief executive Chris Corlett told a Tynwald scrutiny committee as he was questioned over why

the plug could not have been pulled any earlier on plans to stage a TT world series.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly MHK announced in October that the high risk world series plan was being shelved.

The total bill for the doomed project has topped £332,000 but the Minister has insisted it had been a ‘valuable exercise’.

Giving evidence before the economic policy review committee Mr Skelly was questioned over the departmental meeting on September 29 when the decision to scrap the project was made.

Committee chairman Michael Coleman asked: ‘You do not consider that at any time before September 29 you could have made a “no-go” decision?’

DED’s chief exective Chris Corlett said three firms had been shortlisted but one pulled out. The two remaining bidders had put in six figure sums to prepare for their bids.

‘I honestly don’t think we could have said “yes or no” any sooner,’ he said.

Mr Coleman asked if concerns had been raised about continuing the project before that departmental meeting.

Mr Skelly replied that ‘questions were always there’ and one topic had been about ‘dilution’ of the local TT event.

‘We did not want to dilute the product. It was very critical we didn’t take away from the golden goose which is what we’ve got here,’ he said.

For that reason any events in a world series would have taken place in Equatorial or Southern Hemisphere jurisdictions that were far enough away not to impact on the local event.

Mr Skelly was asked what it would take to ‘unshelve’ a TT world series.

He told the committee if the economic and fiscal benefits could be evidenced, and the event was introduced on a staged basis, it could be achieved.

The Minister said: ‘I do believe we made the right decision at that particular time. I feel a TT series still has merits.

‘However, we want to focus solely on local events. I believe there is still significant growth to be obtained.’

Committee chairman Mr Coleman was highly critical that minutes of the meeting of September 29 had not been provided as requested until late the previous afternoon.

‘It could be regarded as discourteous to this committee and Tynwald,’ he said. ‘I actually put it down as “contemptuous”.’

Both Mr Skelly and Mr Corlett apologised. ‘It was simply our failing,’ said the Minister, explaining there had been issues with staff absences.

A new procurement process has begun to find a private sector partner to grow the TT, the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT.

The two witnesses were questioned over the inclusion of members of DED staff in the original bids.

Mr Corlett said that as part of the aim to slim down government, the tender process involved transferring some specialist staff to the private organisation that won the bid.

A small number of senior officers were involved in the evaluation process and the junior officers who could have been transferred were ‘in no way part of the procurement process,’ he said. The process had been robust, he said. A Chinese wall had been put up and there was ‘no one individual who could have materially changed the outcome.’

 

[ManxTaxPayer]

What a sorry tale. Expensive too.

[woolley]

Ah, but we might revisit it in the future.................

[Non-Believer]

"A new procurement process has begun to find a new partner".

 

Do we read this as a "new process has begun to attempt to spend even more money trying to flog the TT to the rest of the world" - having failed the first time at vast expense? Any names as to who got rich on the back of this?

Edited December 9, 2015 by Non-Believer

[holymolley]

Another boys club whitewash then

[commish]

"‘I honestly don’t think we could have said “yes or no” any sooner.’

That’s what Department of Economic Development chief executive Chris Corlett told a Tynwald scrutiny committee as he was questioned over why

the plug could not have been pulled any earlier on plans to stage a TT world series."

I think it was obvious from the very beginning that the plug should not have been put in in the first place....!

[Max Power]

There is sufficient expertise resident on the island who could have given an expert opinion on the viability of this. It probably would have cost the price of a cup of coffee in Costa! There again, that would probably not have given them the answer that they wanted?

 

Having said all that, our government does not appreciate advice or expertise unless they pay handsomely for the privilege in order to hand off responsibility. I don't think the Sports Consultancy had any understanding of what they were being asked to do! It's easy to keep a gullible party like IoM Government on the hook to squeeze more and more cash out of them.

[the stinking enigma]

uniquely when posting on this forum, i'm not completely aware of all the facts in this case, but would the general gist be that we paid a load of money to a firm to investigate the viability of making the tt into a world series, and had to wait until the very end to receive their recommendation that it was indeed viable, before deciding it wasnt a very good idea in the first place and shelving it? if so hats off thats absolute piss taking genius of the highest order

[The Border Terrier]

What a sorry tale. Expensive too.

 

Will they never learn?

 

Remember Cretters fiasco with off-Island consultants, Signature in 2012?

 

Best part of £1.5M squandered.

 

Where's Cretters now? He's involved, amongst other responsibilities, in policing Tynwald to ensure legality and sensibility of contracts etc.

 

http://www.manx.net/tv/mt-tv/watch/7675/david-cretney-on-signature-deal

 

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/1-6m-contract-for-tt-was-not-signed-1-5089864

 

TBT.

 

eta: link.

Edited December 10, 2015 by The Border Terrier

[Lxxx]

Surprising. Not.