Sir, I was absolutely horrified to read in The Courier (February 22) that one of the UK government’s cutbacks is to withdraw their financial support to the Children of Chernobyl by refusing to pay for their visas.
Since I was elected over five years ago I have always attended the Provost’s party for the kids sent from Russia for a brief holiday in Scotland.
The response from the people of Perth and Kinross who open their homes to these children is terrific.
Local companies give not only clothes and shoes but the children get dental and eye tests, unavailable where they come from. But the true magic of this event does not come from the hearts of the schools that take part, the people who volunteer to take in the children, or various entertainment events . . . it lies in the benefits to the children involved.
The Chernobyl disaster happened in 1986 but the surrounding area is still suffering from the fallout and people still live with its consequences. The children who are chosen to come are from an age range that most benefits from the safe air we take for granted. A few short weeks in our radiation-free country adds years to their lives.
Living in a country that still uses radioactive materials in electricity generating power stations we should give more consideration to the young people who have to live with the consequences. Any country that generates power through nuclear energy could be effected and so the
UK government should be sympathetic to those who suffer the consequences.
The United Kingdom has been incredibly lucky so far having only one major accident in October 1957 when Windscale caught fire with 33 cancer deaths. If another tragedy were to happen here in the future we would want other countries to try to help our children.
Elspeth Maclachlan. Cllr Perth City North, 122 Dunsinane Drive, Letham, by Perth.
We don’t need fizzy drinks
Sir, In your article, Fizzy drink firms hit back, Tuesday, February 19, you quote the British Soft Drinks Association as saying: “Putting up taxes further (on soft drinks) will put pressure on people’s purses at a time when people can ill afford it.”
However, the fact is that we do not need fizzy drinks we have a safe water supply in Scotland.
As Professor Anderson says in a further article many of these drinks contain simply sugar, water and colouring. The best way to save money is not to buy them at all or just keep them for a nice treat on special occasions.
The association also have their figures wrong. Calculations based on the Family Food Survey suggest that soft drinks provide between 3% and 5% of the total calories in Scotland; calories that we could all do without.
Dr Wendy L Wrieden. Registered Nutritionist (Public Health).
Bad move to close depot
Sir, In this age of exhortations to recycle just about everything, it is almost beyond belief that Dundee City Council is to close the Marchbanks recycling depot in Harefield Road, near Lochee.
The two remaining civic amenity sites are on the outskirts of the city. The proposed closure of a very efficient centrally located facility at Marchbanks will undoubtedly lead to an increase in litter and fly-tipping.
Margaret Fraser. 9 Johnston Avenue, Dundee.
Too much interfering
Sir, I wholeheartedly agree with Lucy Penman’s article on Friday, February, 22, there are too many government rules and regulations now interfering with ordinary people who are trying to bring up their children to have respect and to take responsibility for their behaviour.
Why can’t the government stay out of matters that shouldn’t concern them, as far as I am concerned?
Giving children the morning after pill in school would actually encourage children to become promiscuous.
It has got to the stage now where mums are afraid to even give a child a light smack on the bottom or on the back of the hand in case some busybody reports them to the authorities for abuse.
I assume that is why young children are allowed to sit in buggies screaming and yelling while the mother looks away and ignores the noise.
June Reid. 12 Findhorn Street, Fintry, Dundee.
New man has much to prove
Sir, What on earth is happening in the boardroom of Dundee FC? Sacking Barry Smith (after he had done a magnificent job, especially post-administration) was bad enough,but replacing him with an ex-player who, after leaving the club to join Rangers, boasted of his disloyalty to Dundee in a national newspaper, is astonishing.
This is the man the Dundee board say is the outstanding candidate?
Barry Smith left the club with his footballing reputation enhanced and his integrity intact. His replacement has much to prove.
J Millar. 5 Speed Street, Dundee.