The RYA is to advocate a cut in spending on the £1.2billion e-Borders proposals as part of HM Treasury’s online appeal for new ideas on spending cuts.

Members of the public are invited to submit suggestions for spending cuts at http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ 

Although entries close tomorrow at 10AM, the public will get a chance to vote on which suggestions will go forward to the Spending Review, to be announced 20 October.

In a video posted on Youtube by the Chancellor, George Osborne, urges the public to submit ideas for cutting the national debt, saying:

‘We’re borrowing one pound for every four pounds we spend, and that’s more than almost any other country in the world.

‘If we don’t deal with this debt problem our economy will suffer and jobs will be lost.

‘We’ll end up spending more every year just paying for the interest than on educating our children.’

RYA legal affairs spokesman, Gus Lewis, told PBO that his department is urging the government to save money by making e-Borders for cruising boat owners simple and practical.

‘To date neither the previous Government nor the new coalition Government
has published a comprehensive explanation of how the e-Borders scheme
will in practice be rolled out in the recreational boating sector,’ he said.

Proposals to force owners to submit passage plans prior to arrival or departure have been roundly criticised as unworkable, and even unsafe, should the rules inhibit a skipper’s freedom to change destination of arrival time mid-passage due to weather or mechanical factors.

Gus Lewis added: ‘Border security in our sector should be intelligence led, engaging with yachtsmen rather than alienating them.’