Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – It is good to see Dundee City Council pushing to bring the National Performance Centre for Sport to the city.
However, at the same time it is still pursuing plans to close the Kemback Day Centre and the ”Out and About” service for vulnerable adults. Many, who enjoy taking part and watching sport, will now find they can no longer get the support they need to take part in educational, sporting and work related activities.
Last week, I had the opportunity to meet a group of parents and family carers of people with learning disabilities who use this service. I was struck by the outrage they felt that this service was now to be taken away from them.
As we spoke, a number of issues began to emerge that suggested an error may have been made in this decision.
First of all the consultation on such a change to people’s lives seems to have been carried out inadequately. The council seems to have started a consultation but failed to actually speak to anyone directly involved in the service. They used words which obscured what they were up to. Phrases about ”modernisation” and ”reprovisioning” hid the fact that they were planning to cut a vital service to disabled people.
Perhaps worse is that councillors who made the decision back in March were not given any clear information about how this decision would make life worse for people with learning disabilities. The Public Sector Equality Duty is meant to help councillors make good decisions, but this time they weren’t given the information they needed.
At the meeting it was clear that people valued the service provided by Kemback and the ”Out and About” service. Those who use the service have grown in confidence and maturity through its work. Kemback is a relatively modern centre with decent facilities it even has one of the few specialist public toilets in the country for people with profound disabilities. It is a service valued by those who use it and those who care for them.
It would be much better to stop this process now and for council staff to properly consult with those involved in the Kemback ”Out and About” services. Dundee doesn’t just need facilities for elite sports stars, it needs facilities for all its citizens.
Ian Hood.Coordinator,Learning Disability Alliance Scotland.
We have been here before
Sir, – Your headline, June 26, puzzled me somewhat. ”Salmond a ‘worried’ man, claims Darling”, in reference to the Devo Max option being included in the upcoming referendum.
The SNP are advocating full independence and that is the question they have put forward. The polls Mr Salmond refers to are the ones showing support for Devo Max running at up to 70%. The suggestion is that if anybody wishes to propose this alternative, it would be considered.
Given that Mr Darling and his cohorts are supporters of devolution and claim to want the people of Scotland to have their say, shouldn’t they be pushing for this option, given its popularity? Promises of future improvements in the devolution package, unspecified and therefore not open to discussion, are meaningless.
We have been here before. Vague promises were made during the 1979 debate, and many in Scotland remember the consequences of that fiasco. The only ”muddy waters” I see are the ones swirling around Alistair Darling’s head.
Ken Clark.335 King Street,Broughty Ferry.
Whole process is a charade
Sir, – Of all the words that have been written to The Courier recently on the subject of independence, the words of B Jacobi (Letters, June 25), warning of Scotland becoming a region of the EU are probably some of the most significant.
Scotland is already a region of the EU, with its own EU code, UKM, as are the other regions of the UK, NE England is UKC, Northern Ireland UKN, and so on.
Alex Salmond built his appeal on Scotland breaking away from England (our biggest trading partner) and Wales and Northern Ireland whilst remaining part of the EU.
The three defining characteristics of a sovereign independent state are control over interest rates, control over tax rates and control over spending. None of these will be available by remaining in the EU and adopting the Euro (heaven forbid), or even as he is now suggesting, keeping the pound.
This whole process is a charade, leading to incessant wrangling, the only beneficiaries being even more politicians and civil servants.
George Cormack.Aberdour.
Milk … and a bit more
Sir, – There has been interesting comment in the press recently about the possibility that the lack of sunshine in Scotland causes vitamin D deficiency and thus some illnesses. While in New Zealand earlier this year, I noticed that milk with added vitamin D is one of the choices offered in all supermarkets.
As far as I am aware this is not so in Scotland which makes me wonder why not, as there is a lot more sunshine in New Zealand than here.
As it would presumably cost very little to offer vitamin D as an additive to some milk, this may be a good way to help avoid serious illness.
Ruth Gordon.Willowbrae,Tayport.
Heading for blackouts?
Sir, – Just as the nation began its day on Wednesday at 7.30am and the demand for power surged, the UK National Grid (www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk) reported that wind generation of power, subsidised to the tune of £1 billion a year, was zero.
Are we heading for blackouts if Mr Salmond’s goal of 100% renewable, mainly wind, is achieved?
Where will the power come from?
Iain Richmond.Monikie.
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.