Sir, I wonder which planet Councillor Mac Roberts inhabits when he clearly cannot see the impact of welfare reform on people and families.
If a person has been allocated a council house, then surely the most normal expectation is that this can be their home, rather than a temporary accommodation.
If these welfare reforms, such as the bedroom tax are imposed, we will have families having to move house more often and this brings with it the loss of communities.
Bearing in mind there is a distinct lack of “smaller” houses available for these households to downsize to, this bedroom tax will result in people having to move into private sector rentals, which are considerably more expensive.
So the housing benefit bill will end up being larger!
Maybe Cllr Mac Roberts has not had his constituents in tears in his area, worrying how they will cope, but I certainly have.
The bedroom tax is an ill-thought out, cruel tax on the people who are least able to deal with such large increases in their day to day costs.
Cllr Karen Marjoram. Ward 21, Cupar.
Where is the discrimination?
Sir, Mr Stewart (March 7) writes the same letter over and over again about Catholic education. What discrimination, exactly, is he talking about?
Catholic schools are open to all and only stay open in areas where there is a demand for the service. Our local Catholic school has seen the intake increase in recent years and the pupils are predominantly non- Catholic and non-religious.
The parents obviously are able to see and appreciate something that Mr Stewart cannot. They also generally find it easy to enrol their children, if space allows.
So please, Mr Stewart, could you provide some evidence for your mythical discrimination or give us all a break from that feeling of deja vu every time you have your quarterly rant about faith schools.
Anne Hinojosa. 12 Bowling Green Road, Markinch.
Road closed but no work
Sir, I refer to the closure of the southbound carriageway on the M90 from Kelty junction to Dunfermline.
I travelled this route by public transport on Saturday (March 9) as this route was very busy due to the rugby at Murrayfield. As the southbound lane was closed at the Kelty junction our driver diverted though Kelty. On my return from Dunfermline later that day I was shocked, but not surprised, to witness very little work being carried out on the closed section of the road.
It would appear this is normal procedure on such works these days. One would think that on a major route there would be more urgency to have the work completed as soon as possible.
Is it any wonder these works end up over budget and last far longer than necessary? It’s no surprise motorists are left frustrated,when they witness miles of motorway closed off and little or no work being carried out on these major routes?
Ian Robertson. Hillview, Station Road, Crook of Devon, Kinross.
Follow-up is necessary
Sir, After a child has been publicised as a prodigy, the danger becomes that adults no longer believe the child’s ability has any limits, then if ever some greedy adult in a controlling position tries to force the child to achieve more than they can, the child gets blamed for failing and their predicament is not believed. I have experienced this.
As a safeguard against this, there needs to be a code for the press which makes it an absolute duty to return to an old child prodigy story when the child is grown up and if they want to say anything new for themselves, to run that story too.
Maurice Frank. 79 Dundas Avenue, South Queensferry.
Why move them twice?
Sir, Alex Salmond’s demand that David Cameron should apologise for repatriating fewer troops to Scotland from Germany than originally projected by the MoD is another example of his running with the hares and hunting with the hounds whenever it suits him.
After all, should he get a “yes” vote in next year’s referendum, we can assume that he will push most of those troops out of Scotland in 2016. So why should the UK Government pay to move them twice?
Another classic case of trying to have your haggis and eat it?
Brian Townsend. Kirkinch, Meigle.
System is the problem
Sir, The universal benefits system in the UK is probably one of the best in the world, which would explain why it might be an attraction for economic migrants. However, the blame for wanting to take advantage of our generosity lies not with the people who wish to improve their lives but with the system which provides the attraction.
Our government provides for child care, housing, education, health care, as well as social care, living maintenance, mobility, care for the aged and funeral expenses without the obligation for mandatory payments and with a lack of default procedure.
The structure while being the envy of even the most left wing government, has its own inbuilt problems not the least of which is its effect on the demographics of the population the large amount of immigrants to areas not prepared or funded to provide assistance, the concentration of ethnic communities and the lack of any motivation to learn language or accept cultural restraints.
It is conceivable that a large amount of the benefit is sent all over the world to finance families in other countries when the money would be better spent in the UK in order to help the economic situation.
The system would be better if benefits were personal and according to need with an obligation to contribute in some form, either finance or labour. Perhaps consideration could be given to payments by non-transferable voucher or stamps.
Alan Bell. Roods, Kirriemuir.
Deserves our fullest support
Sir, It was gratifying to read such positive reviews of the superb performance of La Traviata by Scottish Opera in the Gardyne Theatre last week. It was equally gratifying to see a full house for Scottish Opera’s second visit to the theatre.
Much has been said about Dundee’s bid to become the UK’s City of Culture in 2017 and this is surely an aspiration which deserves our fullest support; not least in the light of the rather naive and ill-informed comments made by Southend West Tory MP David Amess.
The refurbished Gardyne Theatre provides a modern, well equipped and fitting venue for cultural and performance events and is one of a number of locations in the city which will help form the basis of “cultural Dundee”.
W W Barr. Chairman, Gardyne Theatre Limited, Dundee.
Enjoyed our weather
Sir, I write in support of Struan Stevenson’s letter (March 11), regarding tourism and his refutation of Mr Cantlay’s claim that Scottish weather is to blame for tourism’s tough times.
A few summers ago, during an August visit to the Hercules Garden at Blair Castle, I met up with a coachload of German tourists. The sky was overcast though bright so I ventured my regret that the sun was not shining for them.
The visitors responded by telling me that back home in south Germany the countryside was all burnt brown by weeks of hot sun and the intense greenness of the Scottish countryside was a feast for their eyes. In addition, the relative coolness of the Scottish air provided much relief for them.
Those tourists were so pleased to be touring Scotland but now that much of our landscape is scarred thanks to the wind farm scam it will no longer provide the same pleasurable experience and our economy will suffer.
Kenneth Foster. 57 Hatton Road, Luncarty, Perth.
Need to look at hours of work
Sir, Jim McCormack is absolutely correct in his condemnation of litter louts and dog waste. (Letters, March 5). In West Lothian the environmental wardens work regular hours such as 0900 to 1700. The cost of each warden is more than £28,000. For this sort of money the wardens should work at the times needed to catch the dog owners and the litter louts.
Standing outside a pub in the evening would lead to numerous fines and pay for their generous salaries.
Dog owners are out and about in the early morning and late in the evening so this is when the wardens should also be active.
Another major cause of litter is the school lunch hour.
Wardens should be on patrol at the school and take their lunch break at a different time.
A few maximum £500 fines for dog owners and £100 fines for litter would curtail the problem.
I suggest people write and ask what the cost of the wardens is and what has been recovered in fines. In West Lothian the cost was £463,000 and the fines only £2,600.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.