I’m awaiting David Davis’s speech outlining just what has gone wrong with the Brexit impact papers

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The Brexit Secretary should make a statement to Parliament clarifying exactly what has been done, by whom and when (AFP/Getty)

I recall David Davis telling Parliament that a great number of impact assessments had been carried out in advance of Brexit negotiations.

These impact assessments turned out, in his own words, not to exist and now we have impact assessments that, on the face of it, sound very much like the previously acknowledged, then denied, impact assessments being leaked to the press.

In the light of this confusion, perhaps Davis could make a statement to Parliament clarifying exactly what has been done, by whom and when, as well as spelling out how the leaked impact assessments differ from the impact assessments that he stated did (or did not – I’m still confused about this) exist to Parliament.

Alan Gregory
Gatley

We need to base our decisions on something

I find Brexit minister Steve Baker’s assertion that “economic forecasts are always wrong” in dismissing the secret Brexit reports to be rather disingenuous. Of course, forecasts will never be 100 per cent accurate, but that does not mean they should be ignored as they are the best estimates with which one can attempt to quantify something that has not yet happened. The Treasury uses forecasts of economic activity to set tax rates – should we just guess tax rates because the forecasts will not be 100 per cent accurate?

John Harvey
Bristol

Hiding behind language

Oh how I loathe the term “affordable housing”. Affordable to whom? The millionaire in the mansion or the homeless man on the street?

It’s a meaningless phrase that is used to disguise lack of social action.

Patrick Wise
Cirencester

State of the Onion

As the President Andrew Jackson said: “It is a damn poor mind indeed which can’t think of at least two ways to spell any word.”

Spelling is a dying art – mostly due to spellcheckers and a lack of ability by its users to spot obvious errors. The example of the moment – uniom rather than union – is more likely to be poor typing than spelling.

Does it really matter if we think Crocodile Dundee came from Austria rather than Australia? Not really, although since there are no crocodiles there, Squirrel Dundee may have lacked some drama. However, if it was a matter of bombing runs, “Iraq or Iran?” may have caused some political tensions to rise.

Typing errors may excuse many concerns although the differences between the recoveries are significant. Perhaps the President or Resident in the White House needs to double check everything he sends out – this could be extended to his tweets as well.

As we peel away the layers of how this mistake occurred it may be like the onion – a source of many tears.

Dennis Fitzgerald
Melbourne, Australia

How are we supposed to place responsibility onto individuals like this?

Ben Chu quotes Richard Mottram on the inexperience of frequently reshuffled ministers. The senior civil service itself is a classic example of the English cult of the gifted amateur, where super-bright mandarins, often with little relevant technocratic expertise, get moved from department to department, where very different sets of issues may be in play.

Mottram himself was Permanent Secretary at half-a-dozen different ministries. Couple ministerial reshuffles with transient departmental heads and it is hardly surprising if individual responsibility for failed policy delivery is often hard to pin down. Macavity the Mystery Cat is alive and well in public administration.

Gavin Turner
Gunton

It’s out of councils’ control

In response to “Lament to Enfield”, surely the main reason high-street shops struggle to survive is that people don’t use them anymore but prefer large shopping centres, usually out of town? Sadly, times change, whatever councils do to slow the process.

Michael Pate
Preston