Sir, – Colin Beattie, an SNP MSP, has challenged the Scottish Government to take “real action” to tackle the growing number of dog attacks.
He pointed out that 6,483 people attended A&E in 2018 and 6,992 in 2019 as a result of dog attacks. Many children were savaged.
There are 600,000 dogs in Scotland but ignorant/selfish owners allow their dogs off the lead near farms resulting in death and injury to livestock and wildlife.
The need to have a dog licence was removed in 1987 but should be reintroduced.
There are too many anti-social owners whose dogs foul our streets and countryside.
Irresponsible dog owners, especially those with numerous dogs, would oppose this but the general public would welcome it.
The Scottish Government imposed a licence system for the 500,000 air weapons in Scotland so why not for 600,000 dogs?
Clark Cross.
Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
Slow dance to Covid freedom from FM
Sir, – The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s slow slow, quick quick slow – Maybes Aye, Maybes Naw – route map out of lockdown shows us, quite clearly, she is lost.
For a party that has thrived on the back of populist policies, her immediate knee jerk reaction to widespread criticism from the tax paying business community was to revert back to the populist default position.
When confronted with the hard reality of making unpopular decisions she can no longer continually point an accusing finger at Westminster.
Nothing is “free”, it all has to be paid for.
The economy needs to function to pay for all her “freebies”.
The cold hard facts of independence may come too late for those who think it will better Scotland, when all economic indicators say it won’t.
Let Scotland flourish instead of rusting away like a new ferry.
Allan Thompson.
Bearsden, Glasgow.
Uncertain future for fishing communities
Sir, – While the fight against the pandemic and return to normality must be at the front of government thinking, there are issues which have quietly stayed under the radar.
This applies very much to the Scottish fishing industry and our coastal communities.
These areas are facing a very uncertain future given the watered down Brexit deal.
Prior to negotiation it was indicated that UK fishing waters up to 200 miles would be retained, and that fishing quotas would be returned.
This area is still being heavily fished by EU vessels with resultant implications for our local land-based fish processing facilities and the many jobs involved in coastal areas.
If this continues the future of these communities and our fishing industry could come under real economic threat.
D. G. McIntyre.
Main Street,
Davidsons Mains.
Independence but not through the SNP
Sir, – Now that it’s becoming increasingly clear what a cesspit the SNP is, perhaps indy-minded voters should consider supporting one of the smaller parties backing independence, albeit outside the EU.
George Morton.
Hudson Road, Rosyth.
Challenge theories, don’t silence debate
Sir, – Edinburgh University tied itself in knots over the Hume Tower and now Glasgow University reveals it’s also riddled with ‘wokism’ over Greg Clark’s invitation to speak on the effects of genetics on social outcomes.
This nonsense dominates some universities in much the same way as religious mantra did in centuries gone by.
My impression in reading Professor Greg Clark’s work is he was investigating why social mobility doesn’t work effectively: Not defending it.
Why if his work is such garbage the “woke offenderati” don’t simply tear his ideas to pieces when he finishes speaking? Sadly his theories aren’t easy to demolish.
Rev Dr John Cameron.
Howard Place, St Andrews.
