In his budget speech the Chancellor Philip Hammond confessed that economic growth and productivity in the UK lag way behind that of most other EU economies with no hope that this will improve any time soon (so much for the EU holding us back).

Hammond then waffled about exciting technologies that would save the British economy, driverless cars being one example. No doubt this is a precursor to handing hundreds of millions of pounds to big business.

Small and medium sized businesses are the real drivers of innovation and growth. Working in the centre of York at present, I know how central and local government could transform productivity. I lose maybe an hour a day waiting at the mercy of pitifully slow internet connections. Wasted time. The same is true for businesses up and down the street.

I’ve never met anyone who enjoys staring at a frozen computer screen and, with access to software and file storage increasingly lodged in the Cloud, the situation only gets worse. If Government – national and local - wants to improve productivity across hundreds of businesses in York and in other cities across Britain there is an easy fix: install genuinely high-speed broadband networks.

Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York

Let's get the station revamp done - quick

The good news is the proposed work at York Station is going ahead and the new rolling stock is to be brought into service (Station’s revamp remains on track, December 1). What can possibly go wrong? Well, a lot actually.

The Minister for Transport has a long and distinguished career in getting it wrong.

The Prison Service and the Probationary Service were brought to their knees by Chris Grayling. He had to be moved and our old mate Michael Gove brought in to clear the mess.

Mrs May seems to have great trust in Mr Grayling, and has moved him to the Transport Department. We can only hope the works get carried out before he notices.

Keith Isaac, Byron Drive, York

Wrong again ion congestion, Paul

On the letters page on November 29 we were treated to yet another diatribe of nonsense from Paul Hepworth regarding congestion. He quotes reports from transport professionals circa 1925 and then concludes that we cannot build our way out of congestion.

So why is it that countries such as France, Germany and Spain, after building many thousands of miles of roads and motorways in recent years, have now banned HGVs (except those carrying livestock and perishables) from the roads on weekends and bank holidays?

Might it be they can get their business completed in a more efficient manner with less congestion and pollution?

With his selective memory Mr Hepworth forgets what Tadcaster, York and Malton were like before they got their bypasses, with traffic bumper to bumper from Heworth back along Foss Islands Road, Nunnery Lane, and Tadcaster Road to the Buckles Inn.

Trevor Scott, Boroughbridge Road, Acomb, York