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Transport Department Finally Admits it Carried Out No Cost-Benefit Analysis Before Imposing Mask Mandates on Public Transport

by Will Phillips
26 September 2021 5:00 PM

Depending on how your lives have been affected by all the restrictions, July 2020 either feels like a lifetime ago or not. For Dr. Alan Black it is probably the former. This is because it took until June of this year for him to get an answer to a freedom of information request he submitted to the Department for Transport he submitted 11 months earlier. And no, it wasn’t because they were working from home…

The request? “Please can you provide me with the name and findings of the peer-reviewed study which led to the imposition of mandatory face coverings on public transport.”

The response? You guessed it, a refusal to comply. Worse still, when the Department finally did reply – having been forced to after Dr. Black complained to the Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) – it admitted that it hadn’t bothered to undertake a study of the likely effect of mandatory masks on public transport when the measure was introduced on June 15th, 2020, and it still hasn’t bothered to this day.

The main issue here is not that the Government didn’t carry out any sort of cost-benefit analysis before imposing any of its restrictions – that’s not exactly newsworthy. The issue is the DfT’s heel-dragging. Dr. Black’s initial request was rejected by the Department for being “vexatious”. Well, I am not sure I can see anything vexatious about such a request. Neither did Dr. Black, which is why he persevered. He appealed the decision and asked for an internal review – and when that wasn’t successful he complained to the ICO.

Following the ICO’s intervention, the DfT claimed it didn’t respond to the request at the time because doing so would have caused “a disproportionate level of disruption” to the Department. That’s pretty weak. How about the disruption caused by issuing un-evidenced mask mandates on public transport?

The DfT’s response epitomises the Government’s reluctance to justify any of its Covid restrictions with hard evidence. Nowadays, anyone submitting an FOI request to a Government department not only has to wade through a forest of red tape, but as Dr. Black’s experience shows, Whitehall will use every trick in the book to conceal the fact that little or no thought went into the Government’s knee-jerk approach to managing the pandemic.

Tags: Department for TransportFace MasksGovernmentPublic Transport

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36 Comments
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RickH
RickH
3 years ago

I think we treat this sort of nonsense in those well-established Popperian terms. No equivocation – a failure to produce evidence means that a hypothesis is rejected.

Thus a non-response means that the ‘hypothesis’ that masking is supported can safely be rejected.

… and ignored.

67
-1
Phil Shannon
Phil Shannon
3 years ago
Reply to  RickH

Ah, yes, the good ol’ Null Hypothesis (a staple of my four years of Psych at uni). The Null Hypothesis stands if your experiment doesn’t produce statistically significant results. Absolutely basic – but not to Covid Hysterics.

8
0
TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
3 years ago

The grand treasoner himself T Bliar thought FOI was a terrible mistake.

Last edited 3 years ago by TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
42
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BS665
BS665
3 years ago

At least they Felt Safe. Sheesh….

15
0
DoctorCOxford
DoctorCOxford
3 years ago

Not sure this counts as news because they didn’t carry out cost-benefit analysis on any aspect of their response. Had they, they would have seen any small marginal benefit it reduced infections from masks on transport (if any) was offset by costs of masks, reduction in ridership, and other economic costs.

Beyond any other inquiry, I want the mask lie exposed. If we all work N95 masks, okay. But we didn’t and couldn’t financially or health wise (since they can’t be worn long). This must be exposed before we spend another $300b on placebos they may have inadvertently given people false confidence leading to serious illness.

49
-1
RW
RW
3 years ago
Reply to  DoctorCOxford

There are N95-mandates in Germany. But they ignoring the usage instructions: The idea is to wear them indefinitely and also, to reuse them, at least a couple of times. IOW, that’s not meant to be effective, it’s just a placebo-measure as well.

20
0
Margaret
Margaret
3 years ago

I too was told that my request last August, for a health and safety report on wearing masks for long periods of time, was vexatious. I was due to go on a long train journey and later, a flight abroad. I asked my MP to intervene and, to give him his due, he did chase this up with the D of Transport. I received a standard response from the Dept. explaining the government’s position on mask wearing rules, of which I was already aware. That was not my question.

In the end, I resorted to:

a. Has the Department done a health and safety analysis for mask wearing for long periods of time- Yes or No?
b.If the answer is yes, may I please see a copy?
c. If the answer is no, why not?

Naturally, I received the same letter which I had previously received.
I wrote back to my MP to say that it was evident that no health and safety analysis had been carried out by this or any other government department, which was a shocking dereliction of duty.

122
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timsk
timsk
3 years ago
Reply to  Margaret

Great work Margaret. We need more tenacious people like you and Dr. Alan Black.

47
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thinkcriticall
thinkcriticall
3 years ago

“Vanden Bossche takes the current Israeli data and shows how the widespread vaccination rate is creating pressure on the virus to mutate into variants with higher levels of contagion. The unvaccinated group has been keeping the pressure down by defeating the virus and carrying natural immunity. However, as the unvaccinated population is increasingly made smaller, the pressure on the virus to mutate increases. Subsequently, these mutations stay at higher or more effective levels of infection”

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2021/09/25/geert-vanden-bossche-and-robert-malone-md-discuss-covid-19-scientific-investigation-the-viral-revolution-and-political-media/

23
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RW
RW
3 years ago
Reply to  thinkcriticall

There’s no material difference in the course of the overwhelming majority of Sars-CoV2 infection in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people: It’s going to be a harmless, respiratory infection people eventually become naturally immune to. As the virus will never enter the bloodstream in numbers, it won’t ever encounter antibodies simulated by vaccination.

12
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RW
RW
3 years ago
Reply to  RW

Should have been stimulated instead of simulated. 🙂

1
0
Jane G
Jane G
3 years ago

Can we institute a defence against Vexatious Peremptory Mandates?
Please?

14
0
timsk
timsk
3 years ago

I’m sure this is old hat to mask veterans like most of you on here – but it’s worth posting just in case someone has missed it. The saying: ‘a picture paints a thousands words’ springs to mind when watching this simple visual debunking of the mask myth. Enjoy . . .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mb-p88ofho

14
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186NO
186NO
3 years ago
Reply to  timsk

Priceless and very funny if it were not so serious an issue, thanks.

3
0
Julian
Julian
3 years ago

“little or no thought went into the Government’s knee-jerk approach to managing the pandemic.”

Well, a lot of thought went into their campaign of terror, waged against the British People, with our money. Nothing knee-jerk about the psyops from Day 1 to now. Planned and executed very effectively.

45
0
Dave Angel Eco Warrier
Dave Angel Eco Warrier
3 years ago

Wasn’t it strike threats from the transport unions that caused the government to introduce masks on trains and buses? There was no analysis of any description.

12
0
amanuensis
amanuensis
3 years ago

No-one did any cost benefit analyses.

No-one actually looked at the science for any of it either — not for masks, social distancing, vaccines, nothing.

This whole debacle has been an exercise in politicians needing to show the people that they’re ‘doing something’, coupled with mass propaganda to tell the people that what they’re doing is the right thing.

We’ve not even begun to see the damage that this madness has caused.

45
0
Julian
Julian
3 years ago
Reply to  amanuensis

“politicians needing to show the people that they’re ‘doing something’,” And in the process finding out how much easy power a pandemic gives you – spend money like water, lock people up, give fat contracts to your mates, not much criticism from the media or the opposition, tell people it’s all for their own good.

24
0
Sandra Barwick
Sandra Barwick
3 years ago
Reply to  amanuensis

Because the Faucists were lying from the very start. Not madness, fraud and evil.

22
0
HelenaHancart
HelenaHancart
3 years ago

Well, well, well!!! I’ve been screaming this from the rooftops since last year! I wrote to my MP with the same request. He couldn’t provide a single scrap of evidence either, just somebody bollox about “having to follow other countries” and “its to make others (!) feel safe”! Well, they could shove their mask mandate sideways up their @rse! I haven’t worn a filth rag once, and I never ever will!

44
0
IanC
IanC
3 years ago
Reply to  HelenaHancart

Nicely put HH and ditto on all. My MP (Ian Liddell-Grainger) didn’t even acknowledge receipt of any of my missives, each sent via email, 1st class post, and Special Delivery.

11
0
HelenaHancart
HelenaHancart
3 years ago

I don’t mean to be unkind but that picture sums the drone mentality we are up against. People, in their slave masks, obeying their slave slabs…

26
0
Paul B
Paul B
3 years ago
Reply to  HelenaHancart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8BkzvP19v4

Humans – Well about 90% of them anyways.

3
0
HelenaHancart
HelenaHancart
3 years ago
Reply to  Paul B

Ha, ha it’s an excellent example isn’t it?

2
0
TreeHugger
TreeHugger
3 years ago
Reply to  Paul B

I wonder if my autistic traits are why I find it easier not to conform if I can’t see the logic behind it?

5
0
HelenaHancart
HelenaHancart
3 years ago
Reply to  TreeHugger

That’s actually very interesting. I’ve met quite a few people who have a form of autism, and they are the ones very much awake to what is going on!

3
0
chris c
chris c
3 years ago
Reply to  HelenaHancart

Same.

1
0
iane
iane
3 years ago

Vexatious : “causing or tending to cause annoyance, frustration, or worry.” Perhaps it was, but, heck, what has the scum being causing for the rest of us!

12
0
refusenick
refusenick
3 years ago

“The DfT’s response epitomises the Government’s INABILITY to SUPPORT any of its Covid restrictions with hard evidence.”

13
0
rockoman
rockoman
3 years ago

delete

Last edited 3 years ago by rockoman
0
0
CynicalRealist
CynicalRealist
3 years ago

Presumably the same applies to the muzzle-mandates in shops, pubs, etc, too? And indeed to lockdowns and all the other rituals of the Covidian Cult.

16
0
TJN
TJN
3 years ago

Is this the first article by Will Phillips? If so, a good start.

8
0
PatrickF
PatrickF
3 years ago

Cost? Lots. Benefit? None.

4
0
186NO
186NO
3 years ago

And this is precisely why DS should have a “home” for FoI requests and responses – I am certain that there are many smoking guns revealed as per Dr Black – once again, DS, please enable folks to submit these responses for all to read.

4
0
tom171uk
tom171uk
3 years ago

It’s the cover up that is really telling. It’s dishonest and insulting. Not unusual though. The police are particularly secretive: they can never tell you anything “for operational reasons”. They have never been brought to heel so it’s no surprise to see others follow their example. I wouldn’t be surprised to see FOI disappear before long.

5
0
RTSC
RTSC
3 years ago

The Government didn’t bother doing any cost/benefit analysis because they were following an “agreed” plan to manage the plannedemic – or Orders, if you prefer.

9
0

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