Sir, Your paper is to be congratulated for its strong criticism of the necessity for so many foodbanks in Britain and, in particular, a very powerful leading article published recently.
But, like most papers, the number of people who attend and which are quoted is only part of a very nasty iceberg. The figures are given by two leading charities.
However, throughout Scotland, churches, mosques and other places of worship have been running their own kitchens for quite some time. Where typical figures were nine or 10 people attending some years ago, those have grown to 90 to 100 arriving today. And because these blessed places of charity run entirely on donations, they are constantly short of money.
In the Christian churches, both work and support run through all denominations helping each other. St Salvador’s, for instance, has regular helpers from the Church of Scotland and other denominations such as the Unitarian Church. There are several atheists to enrich the mixture.
When many of these wonderful organisations started, part of the “treatment” included talking to those who came along.
St Salvador’s has had the help for some time of a Church of Scotland elder, who speaks fluent Polish and other languages, and has recently added to its list of helpers a speaker of Russian and Estonian. Every single helper reports that those who they encounter are in genuine need and are not going for a free handout. They also record that many resent the appalling indignity they feel in having to go to such places because of their pressing situations. But because such are treated with both dignity and understanding, they are helped over these hurdles.
Please add these facts to your welcome campaign.
Robert Lightband. Clepington Court, Dundee.
Climate change inaccuracies
Sir, The article in yesterday’s Courier, “Climate guide published”, is extraordinary inasmuch as the publication referred to was published more than four years ago and much of its content has been disproved.
Climate change is a multi-billion-pound industry and no one wants to rock the boat.
For 10 years, the main plank for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and global warming enthusiasts was Mann’s “hockey stick” theory.
It stated that for 6,000 years Earth’s climate had been steady and has recently started to turn sharply upwards. It was based on computer models and ignored the Medieval and Roman warming periods, when temperatures were higher than now and the Little Ice Ages, when ice fairs were common on Britain’s major rivers.
Those who attempted to point this out had their articles suppressed by the “peer review system”.
But the truth was so comprehensively proved that the IPCC had no choice but to sideline the “hockey stick”, reference and trace of which disappeared overnight from their publications without a word of apology or explanation.
Bill McKenzie. Fintry Place, Broughty Ferry.
Home births to remain optional
Sir, In response to John Cameron’s letter regarding midwives v obstetricians and the recent comments that home births are just as safe as a hospital birth.
Well, as a new dad to an 11-week-old son, let me just agree and state such advice is utter tosh.
My wife required additional monitoring and treatment due to dehydration and hyperemesis gravidarum (severe, prolonged sickness during pregnancy), which was only possible in a hospital. My wife’s labour was very quick and required management by a number of hospital staff.
When our son was born he was smaller than average and was cold and jaundice, requiring a heated mattress and lamp to raise his temperature. Following the birth, she also required a procedure, again only available in a hospital.
I could not imagine, nor would I ever wish the opportunity for anyone to experience the above at home. I would hate to think what would have happened with the inevitable delay in either midwives or ambulance staff arriving.
This is the 21st Century and we all pay our taxes for the NHS when we need it. Why on earth would anyone want to dissuade, cloud the judgement of, or impress their own personal beliefs on worried parents-to-be? Home births, like everything else, should remain an option with pros and cons, not a default position to save money.
Matt Phillip. Yarrow Terrace, Dundee.
New overseas rail owners
Sir, When the railways were privatised, the public were told that competition between private companies would mean a more efficient and cost-effective service.
We will shortly have the situation where the two main lines from London to Scotland are run by the same company hardly a competitive scenario.
It appears that the UK Government does not want a UK state company (East Coast Railways) to be allowed to run a railway but it is happy that many of the railways in the UK are now run by companies which are partly owned by the governments of Germany, France and Holland.
Robert Potter. Menzieshill Road, Dundee.