Money down the drain - part 3..

The Treasury Solicitor’s office (TSol) is still heading for some sort of special award in wasting tax payers’ money.

In one current case against the MoD, I have recently had a formal request for some further information about aspects of the claim.  There is a provision for such a step to be taken in Part 18 of the Civil Procedure Rules and so the enquiry is generally known, logically, as a “Part 18 Request”.

Absolutely nothing wrong with that in abstract or in context but let’s see how much time and resource we can waste doing it….

First, I get the request by e-mail, with covering letter, which is ideal – and all we need. Endex. 

We didn’t need the fax copy, which came minutes later, nor does it help us where we shall be word-processing our response - not typing onto the second copy of the request that my fax machine has now printed – and sending by e-mail (only).

We certainly didn’t need the postal copy that arrived the following day with not one, but two, further copies of the request which, for reasons explained in relation to the fax above, we won’t use.

So the fax copy letter and request went in the shredder.  With it went the postal copy and the further two printed copies of the same request.

I shall probably keep, just to demonstrate the stupidity of it all, the envelope sent by recorded delivery at a cost of £1.32 which enclosed the third and fourth copies of the request.

TSol…………you’re fired!!