Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, I read with interest the reports about First Aid training and the lack of trained people in the population (October 17).
This is something I would willingly participate in but when I looked at the website of St Andrews First Aid I was disappointed to find that an emergency first aid course for my personal benefit, and lasting only four hours, would cost me £60, including VAT.
I searched further and found a standard first aid course for personal use, which is also the minimum requirement for becoming a St Andrews volunteer first aider, would cost me £62.50 plus VAT.
This is a 24-hour course which would require travelling to Edinburgh or Falkirk.
In the current financial climate, is it realistic to expect people to spend this amount, plus travel expenses?
I am sure I do not need to push the argument for taking perfectly capable unemployed or even employed people who are willing and eager, and offering them this opportunity to contribute to society and boost their feeling of self-worth.
Helping save a life is priceless, learning how to do so is expensive to most people and should be free through the NHS, just as Heartstart is.
If training was subsidised, St Andrews First Aid might find it could not cope with the number of people who want to learn.
Arthur Gall.14D Pitalpin Court,Dundee.
Paxman not so hot on imperial past
Sir, I read with interest the article ”Paxman angry at empire rebuff” (October 19) in which the journalist and TV presenter is quoted as criticising the ”dreary educational establishment” for failing to teach children about the British Empire.
Clearly, the University Challenge quizmaster has fallen victim to this so-called failure.
He goes on to say: ”This may be the first American war in Afghanistan but it is the third British campaign there”. Surely that should be the fourth British campaign, as most history books would identify three Anglo-Afghan wars having taken place already.
The First Afghan War (1839-1842) was, until the fall of Malaya 100 years later, the British Empire’s biggest military defeat in Asia, with the destruction of Elphinstone’s army as it retreated to Jalalabad.
Dundee residents have various reminders of the Second Afghan War (1878-1880) in which Major General Sir Frederick Roberts played such a prominent role. This was followed in 1919 by the Third Afghan War.
Bill Dower.Dundee College.Old Glamis Road,Dundee.
Undercover duty to be praised
Sir, I write in support of Dr Robert Lambert’s previous career and activities while serving in the police (October 19).
I was encouraged and relieved to read of our security organisations’ efforts to keep our country safe. He was never a spy since, professionally, spies operate against other countries, not their own.
I find demands for him to ”apologise” amusing and bewildering. To whom and for what must he apologise? Doing his duty to protect his country even if some would use the expression ”establishment”?
Some of the spied-on groups have a downright nasty side.
Well done, Mr Lambert.
A. T. Geddie.68 Carleton Avenue,Glenrothes.
Wait until after the referendum
Sir, The Ministry of Defence has announced its intention of abandoning the existing British Army barracks in Edinburgh and building a new facility just outside the city.
But if the SNP Government at Holyrood succeeds in its referendum aim of making Scotland independent of the rest of the UK, then all army forces will have to be withdrawn from Scotland and new barracks built for them somewhere in England, Wales or Northern Ireland.
It would surely be prudent of the MoD to defer any decision until after the results of the promised referendum are known?
Alternatively, it could pre-empt the issue by building the new barracks south of the border anyway, transferring all personnel accordingly and flogging off all its Edinburgh holdings at inflated prices before the SNP government can get their hands on them.
William Oxenham.5 Easter Currie Place,Currie,Edinburgh.
Had enough of landfill smells
Sir, As a resident of Abernethy, I would like to know why we are going to be guinea pigs for a gasification plant.
Over the years, we have been subjected to obnoxious odours from the landfill and the composting site at the Binn Farm. Now development quality manager Nick Brian favours the site despite it not being strictly in accordance with the structure plan.
I would like him and the councillors to come and stay here, as they don’t have a clue what we have had to put up with.
We were assured when the landfill was talked about that ”you will never know it is there”.
That was a load of rubbish. Councillors are making sure they protect Perth.
The people in Perth need to know exactly what the village has had to endure; it is their rubbish too.
I hope that councillors will be able to live with themselves if something goes wrong.
I would like to praise the community council for the hard work they put in to try to keep our village a healthy place in which to bring up a family.
E. Marr.Abernethy,Perthshire.
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.