Sir, So, energy supplier SSE has been fined £10.5 million by the regulator Ofgem for exposing customers to inaccurate information, including misleading comparisons between SSE’s charges and costs of other suppliers and, in general, mis-selling gas and electricity.
It sounds quite a substantial figure, until we, the consumer, remind ourselves of the fact that only very recently, when Scottish & Southern Energy’s boss, Ian Marchant, stepped down as chief executive, he received a £15 million golden handshake.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast, customers of SSE who saw their average yearly bill nearly triple during his 10 years as boss, as profits soared for the company were, no doubt, consoled by the words of Mr Marchant when he said that he hated having to put up prices, telling a fuel povertyconference in Dundee: “It’s one of the hardest days of my career and it’s one of the most difficult decisions we have to make as acompany.”
If Mr Marchant doesn’t want his words to beseen as little more than mealy-mouthed, as this whole mis-selling scandal happened under his watch … maybe he will now consider doing the decent thing and hand back at least his golden handshake of £15 million.
Neil McKinnon. Tulchan Garden, Glenalmond, Perth.
What a rubbish state of affairs
Sir, The Travelling community dumps 150 tons of rubbish, only for it to be cleared up free of charge by Dundee City Council (The Courier, March 30).
The Travelling community descends on a restaurant, causes mayhem, intimidates diners, then, under police supervision, leaves by taxi after only partially paying the bill.
Will we, the Dundee taxpayers, be asked to pay the outstanding amount to the restaurant?
I own a pub in Broughty Ferry and, as a result of one of our bin lids being partially open, was fined £50 and told of the detrimental health effect this could have had on the local community. If it didn’t make you laugh, it would make you weep.
I have two questions: can the council not impound vehicles and equipment until the clear-up costs of the 150 tons of rubbish are paid? Secondly, if the non-Travelling community behaved in a frightening and intimidating manner at a restaurant, surely they would be lifted, taken to
Bell Street and charged with either breach of the peace, public disorder and theft, having no legitimate grounds for refusing to pay the full price of their meal.
Name and address supplied.
A crass line on parking issue
Sir, On reading your article on the disabled parking dispute at the end of Kirkcaldy High street (Tuesday’s Courier), a couple of things spring to mind.
We’ve just come through some really hard winter weather, so doing this work would be a problem, especially when council staff were busy keeping roads and pavements clear.
The statement by Neil Crooks that it is an insult to his committee that their orders were ignored is really crass; he should know that work must be prioritised.
Sorry, Mr Crooks, but your lines will just have to wait their turn, hopefully after the huge potholes appearing round my area get fixed.
Of course, disabled drivers must get priority parking but I don’t think they fare too badly in the great scheme of things. The number of disabled bays seems to be increasing at a great rate and are seldom filled, no matter how busy car parks are.
John Strachan. 23 Beechwood Avenue, Glenrothes.
Trains, planes and campaigns
Sir, Well done, all those involved with The Courier campaign to get rail fares in and out of Dundee put on a level playing field at long last (Tuesday’s Courier).
But does Team Dundee now need to turn attention to air connectivity? The current 75-minute flight to London from Dundee remains a huge marketing plus but is there a need to look at the needs of budget travellers, either in terms of publicity about the train link from Edinburgh
Airport to Dundee through Fife or perhaps even the redesignation of RAF Leuchars as a dual-use facility for budget carriers and long-haul flights as well as military?
RAF Turnhouse used to operate quite happily alongside civilian flights from Turnhouse before Edinburgh Airport expanded. Why not Leuchars?
Dundee’s development plans will need lots of visitors to fill the hotels and create jobs and using infrastructure that is already in place seems like a no-brainer.
Neil Robertson. 4 Glamis Terrace, Dundee.
Why we must look to London
Sir, Any moves to simplify the rail fares structure and get the cost of travel down must be welcomed. But transport minister Keith Brown and Scotrail chief executive Steve Montgomery cannot afford to be complacent. So many anomalies still exist, not least in some of the concessionary schemes throughout Scotland.
For example, someone aged over 60 who gets on a train from Leuchars to Edinburgh can purchase a 50p offpeak concession to Inverkeithing and then another from that station to Waverley. Together, this amounts to about half the normal fare, which, I suppose, in the current economic climate, is reasonable. But why can’t Scotrail simply get together with Fife Council to produce one concessionary ticket for the entire journey?
I’m sure these cumbersome methods of issuing tickets exist throughoutthe country and not just Fife and the east of Scotland.
The country has a long way to go before it can compare with the London Freedom pass. This provides free travel on buses, underground, the rail network within the London orbit and even some of the Thames ferries.
It exists because the local authorities and other agencies worked together to create a scheme that has enormous social andenvironmental benefits.
We should show the same ambition here. A fares structure that is fair and easy to understand and a concessionary scheme that could become the envy of Europe.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
This marriage is damaged
Sir, James Davie, in his reply to me (Wednesday’s Courier), voices his disapproval of my stance regarding Westminster rule. He states I am displaying “typical nationalistbehaviour”.
I am not a nationalist, sir, but I do believe Scotland should be an independent country and would benefit greatly from being so.
It would appear being pro-UK isn’t nationalist but being pro-Scotland is. It also appears anyone complaining about Westminster’s woeful record is having a “rant”.
My letter concerned a growing list of broken promises and included Kenneth Clarke’s illuminating remarks concerning “English” money helping out the too-wee, too-poor Scots.
Mr Davie believes the recent defence review was undertaken strategically and he is entitled to hold that view. However, his statement that the “welfare of local communities comes a distant second” will be of no comfort to those affected.
That the fighters promised to Lossiemouth will end up in a Tory heartland is, of course, purely coincidental, and is solely a “strategic” decision.
Last year a group of military experts concluded an independent Scotland could easily afford a well equipped force for less than the amount we already contribute to Westminster.
Mr Davie obviously believes in the Union and will vote No in 2014. That is his right. A growing number of Scots have had enough of our so-called “Better Together” union and hope to end thisdamaging marriage by voting Yes. I will be one of them.
Ken Clark. 335 King Street, Broughty Ferry.
God? What a scream
Sir, In the letter by Kenneth Miln (Wednesday’s Courier), he states: “Although prophets can be identified in human terms, God cannot, for God is that which is beyond our understanding.”
Brilliant. Problem solved. As someone who stopped believing in God around the same time as I doubted the existence of the tooth fairy, that explanation solves everything.
Here was me thinking that I had made my decision not to believe in the Gods on the information available to me at that time. But, no,there is a God (or many gods), according to Mr Miln. It was all just beyond my understanding.
Sorry, Mr Miln, don’t think that theory will catch on. If I am ever in a similar situation as that gentleman was on that plane, I will be easily recognisable: while everybody else is praying to their particular God, I will be the one screaming.
T. Tolland. East Park Cottage, Braidestone, Meigle.
Angus faces onslaught
Sir, The merits of wind energy continue to be debated yet Angus facesan onslaught of applications. While by no means the only area affected, the precious coastal region of Angus and the Lunan valley face nothing less than an onslaught.
The latest application near Inverkeilor brings to 27 the number of turbines within a 9.4-mile radius that are operational, approved or in planning.
The cumulative impact will be enormous and irreversible and this will be added to the burden the current generation places on our children.
Simon Dessain. Lawton, Arbroath.