Email to CARS from Peter Kirby G0TWW

To date, the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) has responded to no less than 7 OFCOM Consultations which affect the radio spectrum.

The CARS Vice-Chair John Bowen G8DET had kept Peter Kirby G0TWW at RSGB HQ informed by email of all that CARS was doing in each seperate consultation but did not receive a single acknowledgement back.

John G8DET's concerns about the lack of acknowledgements were raised with the Deputy and Regional RSGB Managers (James M0ZZO and Phillip G4NZQ). He has now received the reply below from Peter Kirby.

73 Trevor M5AKA

Thank you for your Email.

I am sorry that CARS feels that the RSGB has not acknowledged properly the contribution made by CARS into the Ofcom consultations.

I am aware of all of your clubs responses, because they have been copied to the RSGB. The Society is extremely grateful that CARS has taken the time and trouble to become involved, however, CARS are not alone as I have received very many similar responses from clubs and individual amateurs.

The RSGB is not a large organisation (staff wise) and
generally I receive in excess of 80 Emails a day a quite a
large postbag of normal mail. It is not possible to acknowledge every document that is sent in for information or even action every Email that we receive. We do our best with the resources that we have.

With regards to inputs into Ofcom, they have received a high level of inputs from the amateur radio community on all of their consultations to date. In fact over 50 percent of the inputs into the 'Radio Spectrum Review' consultation came from the amateur radio community. In some cases they have acknowledged receipt and in others they have not. Although they are committed to do so, a large proportion of the responses have not appeared on their website.

You are quite critical of the Society and our actions to date.
Like CARS all the public statements that we have made and all correspondence that has been exchanged between the Society and Ofcom are on the Society's website. They are placed there when originated or sent. The Society has been extremely open with this issue, however, it is quite difficult to raise objections to proposals when only the RSGB has had sight of these proposals.

We must remember that the Future of Amateur Radio Licensing consultation is not expected to be published until the 26 May and it was only last week that Ofcom made any form of public statement on the consultation.

The RSGB will continue to keep the amateur radio community informed as the consultation process unfolds.

For information. Dominic Morris is not a Director of Ofcom.
He is in effect the Office Manager for the Office of Ofcoms
Chief Executive Steven Carter.

The RSGB has been for sometime talking to Ofcom at Board level as, has been reported in our statements in RadCom, GB2RS News and on our website. We are also in discussions with the MoD Home Office, DTI, Dept of Media and Culture and the Cabinet Office.

One final observation, I am very aware that CARS is a progressive club. However, the vast majority of amateur radio clubs are not electronic and the RSGB has to take this into consideration.
Last weeks 'mailout' to clubs cost in excess of £400.00, this is why we encourage clubs and members alike to access the Society's website on a regular basis for the most up to date and factual information.

On closing, may I again thank members of CARS for their input into these consultations. We all have to get it right to
ensure the future of amateur radio.

Yours sincerely

Peter Kirby, G0TWW

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