BN, the one thing that seems clear is that there's a piece of the jigsaw missing and EH have "wider issues" that motivate them. Their natural opponents, the quarry industry, involuntarily fund them through money from the Aggregates Levy and this now represents a huge slice of EH's financial clout. Not unnaturally, the quarry industry is pretty sore about the levy. I'm wondering if there's a feeling in government that the climate for the industry shouldn't be worsened any further, and a nod has gone out.
Today, as part of the pre-budget statement, Gordon Brown is to announce whether EH's control of the fund is to be renewed. They'd be mad to rock the boat just now.
