Latham starts out by reviewing the purpose and intention of the Government鈥檚 Quality Mark Scheme and ends up by championing the case for household breakdown insurance.
Along this tortuous path the author makes some really quite naive pronouncements and fatally flawed arguments. First, he states that the Jones鈥 want their work done at once and they want to pay as little as possible for it. Of course they want their work done as soon as possible, it is an emergency situation after all, but wouldn鈥檛 it be more appropriate for them to expect to pay a fair and reasonable price for the service.
Second, even our 85-year-old would appreciate that in today鈥檚 world 拢25 buys you little when it comes to emergency response. And where did Latham pluck this figure from?
The author then goes on to laud an Anglian Water scheme laughably saying: 鈥淭he householder pays nothing as the insurance covers it.鈥 Oh yes Mr Latham, and would you like to comment on the comparison between the annual premiums for the insurance and the original 拢25 Mrs Jones had to spend, bearing in mind she is a pensioner on limited income?
But the greatest irony in this piece is saved for last. Latham states: 鈥淭he premiums are acceptable.鈥 They are if you are on his sort of income and not a pensioner鈥檚. He goes on: 鈥淧resumably the firms are paid an economic fee.鈥 Methinks you presume too much.
鈥淭he water company and insurers presumably make a few bob as well.鈥 This time, an extremeley accurate presumption; middle-men are not going to do this for nothing.
Latham鈥檚 ultimate paragraph starts out with a question, which is followed by a second, almost rhetorical, question. I had to read this four times before I understood it. Now I think I do, the argument put forward would seem to be that, in practice, if a tradesperson is supplied through an insurance company then everything must be OK, as the insurers have their own magical system of ensuring quality and ergo quality registration.
Never mind Quality Marks. No marks at all for this article.
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
Postscript
Bob Charlick, Director, RED (SW)
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