Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Is it little wonder that Britain simmers with restrained rage as David Cameron, who reneged on his electoral promise to give the British people a referendum on continued membership of the EU, continues to patronise the European Union Bank which has just subsidised Ford to expand its Kocaeli plant in Turkey?
In tandem with this financial bolstering of an Asiatic power, Ford has announced the closure in Southampton of the last factory producing the Transit, a namely British vehicle of 40 years’ export success, and its relocation to Turkey.
Each month redoubtable British industries fall foul of foreign absorption yet the questionable intelligence of William Hague, our Foreign Secretary no less, prompts him to burble that he will ”argue relentlessly against protectionism”.
Whilst it was all very well for Disraeli 150 years ago, when the world was Britain’s oyster, to talk of free trade as a supreme virtue and protectionism as a vice, the British people are being taught with bitter experiences that times have changed and our hapless political leaders need to protect us against present ”outrageous fortune”.
Alastair Harper.House of Gask,Lathalmond,by Dunfermline.
Adequate day care places are still available
Sir, – With regard to Mick Streets’ letter (November 3), I would like to remind him that the closure of Kemback Street was unanimously backed by all of Dundee’s 29 councillors in a March 2012 committee report.
This is a matter of fact.
Opposition parties then claimed bizarrely that they either did not read or understand the report they agreed to. Cynics may suggest that they were attempting to shamefully make political gain out of the issue.
Despite Mr Streets’ frustration at Maryfield ward councillors it has to be acknowledged that this is a city-wide issue and not an issue solely affecting the Maryfield ward.
Notwithstanding this, I can advise that I sought verbal assurances at the recent social work committee on capacity levels at alternative day care centres for persons deemed to still require this type of care.
Assurances were given to me that there is more than adequate room.
I and other SNP members also met with the director of social work and his management team on numerous occasions to discuss this proposal along with the overall direction of personalised care for adults with disabilities.
Dundee City Council is speaking directly to service users, their families and carers to assess the most appropriate form of support in keeping with what they need.
The fact that this includes the continued option of day care should not be forgotten.
Cllr Craig Melville.SNP Maryfield Ward.
Ultimate aim is an improved service
Sir, – I write in response to the letter from Jim Malone re Kemback Street Day Centre.
There is no doubt that Dundee City Council is facing enormous challenges in the face of reductions to our budget resulting from the austerity programme of the Westminster Government.
However, as I have been at pains to point out throughout the whole debate about Kemback Street’s closure, this is not about saving money. It is about moving money from one type of resource to another in order to improve the lives of and increase the choices available to people with learning disabilities.
The process of personalisation is about moving away from congregate care settings such as hospitals and day centres and has been the direction of travel in policy terms for many years.
I’m not sure what expert opinion we are ignoring in respect of this process as the ”Same as You” report by the then Scottish Executive as far back as 2000 clearly outlined the way forward to greater personalisation.
The Scottish Government has recently revisited this document in an attempt to find out what progress has been made since then. Dundee City Council is fully signed up to this and the closure of Kemback Street with a full reallocation of resources within learning disabilities is a part of this.
As for being immune to the feelings of service users I sympathise with those who are experiencing difficulties in a time of change and I made that clear in my remarks to the council.
However, we wouldn’t be doing this if we weren’t confident that it would result in an ultimately improved service.
Councillor Ken Lynn.Convener,Social Work and Health Committee,Dundee City Council.
This seems to be only realistic solution
Sir, – So nice Mrs Merkl is to build a new generation of coal-fired power stations to keep the German manufacturing miracle afloat after renewables failed to produce reliable affordable electricity and she has sailed German nuclear down the Rhine.
Sadly, the Scottish Government’s 100% renewables policy will make Scotland a no-go area for manufacture. Sadder still that the Integral Fast Breeder Reactor pioneered at Dounreay and in America is now being developed in France, Russia, India, China, Korea and Japan without us.
The IFR is the holy grail of nuclear fission capable of producing carbon-free world electrical energy requirements for millennia to come, breeding its own fuel with no long-term waste. It can also burn existing high-level waste avoiding the need for uranium mining for hundreds of years.
If climate change is man-made this is the only realistic solution we have.
Stephen Grieve.60 Nethergate,Crail.
That is not news, it is opinion
Sir, – Television news these days is rapidly turning into the expression of newscasters’ opinions and is tantamount to propaganda for whatever party or politician they support.
Channel 5 News at 5 on Monday was a perfect example of this. They reported on coalition plans to persuade employers to pay more than the minimum wage.
The conclusion was that low-paid workers would have to wait for an improvement in their living conditions until the Labour Party was voted back in!
If that is news, I shall have to buy myself a pair of clogs!
Reputable newspapers keep news reports and editorial opinion entirely separate. Television news presenters seem incapable of following suit and they show no signs of improving.
Goebbels would have been proud of them.
George K McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Help for those who served
Sir – At this time of year, our thoughts turn to the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Recent conflicts have brought added relevance to annual acts of remembrance.
During the last century, British troops saw action in many different conflicts, but from the National Service generation fighting in Korea to those who served during the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and the campaigns in Bosnia and Kosovo, many veterans feel their sacrifices and those of their comrades have been forgotten. Mental and physical scars can last long after the battles have left the front pages.
The Fife branch of SSAFA Forces Help provides a lifetime of support to servicemen and women and their dependants. If you or anyone you know has ever served in our armed forces, including as a national serviceman and need some support, then SSAFA’s local team is here to help. We can be contacted on 01592 263714.
Graham Meacher.Deputy Chairman,Fife Branch SSAFA Forces Help.
Appalling figures
Sir, – As accidents continue to occur on the A9 Perth/Inverness road it is appalling to find that during a 10-day clampdown by the police, 687 drivers were caught speeding and 33 charged with mobile phone offences. This brings us back to the fact that the faults lie with drivers rather than the roads.
There are continued calls for a dual carriageway, which is great, but it won’t happen overnight and with the approach of winter and adverse road conditions perhaps the police should be installing ”average” speed cameras along the entire route. Such cameras worked well during the recent work on the M90.
John McDonald.14 Rosebery Court,Kirkcaldy.
Apt phrase
Sir, – I was reminded of the apt phrase ”people who make decisions in life based on absolute certainty will end up making no decisions at all”, when listening to political opponents of the government in the Scottish Parliament calling for cast iron certainties in the independence debate. It struck me that not making decisions was exactly the limit of their aspiration for Scotland’s governance.
Iain Anderson.41 West End,St Monans.
Don’t spoil college’s new look with insensitive sign
Sir, – I am very pleased to see that the new entrance to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art is almost complete.
I have been unhappy for years at the appearance of the College of Art’s two buildings which were never really in sympathy with one another. Now we have a crisp, new modern entrance which brings them together and which fits in very well with the overall plans for Dundee to become a city of art and culture.
However I was appalled to learn that a highly insensitive commercial sign is being considered for the new frontage, in a position which would certainly be an ill-chosen distraction. I cannot believe our council planning committee would find this acceptable and I sincerely hope that they refuse to countenance such a sign.
Surely the taste shown by the planning committee in their total support for the exciting new V&A building must also come to the fore when they are considering this issue.
The art college’s links with the V&A and the common purposes shared by both buildings must not be desecrated by the positioning of a commercial sign. The west end, indeed, the whole city, deserves the best in its public art.
Mona Clark.9 Millbay Terrace,Dundee.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.