Letters Page

Published:

Delight at restoration of Heathrow-Inverness link short-lived

SIR, – My delight at reading the headline to your article on British Airways’ pledge to restore an Inverness connection with Heathrow (October 9) was short-lived.

I read on to note that it depends on the provision of a third runway at the London airport which, if it goes ahead, is unlikely to be operational until 2015. I cannot believe that any business leader or MP would celebrate the airline's spurious offer of “jam tomorrow".

The recent record of BA on regional links to Heathrow and to other British destinations is not commendable. It has reduced flights from Aberdeen and has pulled out completely from Inverness which now has a wide range of budget carriers, with more flights than before. However, it is well-nigh impossible to interline to Europe or beyond using any of them.

The message to all who have any influence with BA must be that a minimum seven-year wait is too long. There is no guarantee that BA will not use any new slots provided by the third runway for more lucrative transatlantic flights.

Slots should be found at Heathrow now.

John Muir,

Craig Dhu,

Dornoch.

Public funds into private pockets

SIR, – Let us think back a year or so when Aberdeen City Council, following London and Edinburgh Labour policy, were trumpeting PFI/PPP schemes as good value for the council taxpayer.

We were told the scheme would provide us with new schools fit for the 21st century, transferring the risk of these major projects to the private sector.

Oh really. We now find out the project may be halted and in serious risk of collapse. It is now that we discover who actually bears the risk when the “crunch” comes – the taxpayers and school pupils.

It is yet another crass decision by the local authority which is having a major detrimental effect on the local population.

It is also further evidence that PFI/PPP is the public funds into private pockets programme.

Stephen Hadden,

Deeside Gardens,

Aberdeen.

Weary claim is nonsense

SIR, – Dr Richard Marsh (Letters, October 10) pounced on the credit crunch as an excuse to trot out the weary claim that we Scots are incapable of fending for ourselves and, without Mother England to feed and clothe us, we would be a nation of “paupers”.

This sort of patronising nonsense does more harm to the unionist cause than any amount of SNP propaganda.

Rob Johnston,

Westerton, Inverugie,

Peterhead.

Reply to minister’s comments

SIR, – Argyll Community Housing Association (Acha) welcomes Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell’s support for Acha’s ambitions (Letters, October 7).

I am sorry the minister feels that Acha does not recognise the Scottish Government’s work in relation to affordable housing. When representatives of Acha met the minister on June 17 they thanked him for the funding for the first phase of the association’s newbuild at Campbeltown.

However, I am sure the minister will appreciate that if funding is reduced from £21million to £14million for affordable housing in Argyll and Bute, the association should have concerns about this.

These concerns are shared by other housing associations and, indeed, by Argyll and Bute Council who I understand have written to the minister asking for an urgent meeting to discuss the matter.

In relation to the delay in taking forward the Croft Avenue site in Oban, if the minister is saying that cuts in funding are not the issue then I am delighted. However, his officials have provided guidance that the association has to take the scheme forward on the basis of reduced grant levels from £107,000 to £73,000 per house.

Acha is willing to meet the minister if that position has now changed.

Alastair MacGregor

chief executive, Argyll Community Housing Association,

Albany Street, Oban.

Drinking and driving

SIR, – Has there been a change in policy?

Your recent report of bystanders removing car keys from a drink-driver (Press and Journal, October 9), suggests there was no arrest of bystanders for infringement of human rights.

Roy Godfrey,

Reay, Caithness.

Reducing our carbon emissions

SIR, – George Lindsay asks two questions (Letters, October 8) about reducing our carbon emissions 80% by 2050. How will this be achieved? And what will be the impact on the climate? He rates the second question as more important.

Some 55million years ago, an estimated 4,000 gigatons of carbon was catastrophically released into the atmosphere. The warmer climate (+7C on average) created four different species of mammal which evolved into bats.

Today mankind emits about 11GtC per year into the atmosphere. The cumulative emissions total to date is 650GtC and, if we continue like this, natural emission processes will begin to kick in as they did 55million years ago.

As a target for developed economies, an 80% cut by 2050 (90% by 2100) is just a minimum. Far more important are the cuts required by 2020 (40% or more).

Politicians began to articulate the importance of 2020 targets only recently but this is good news. It is better late than never – unless, that is, you wish to evolve into a bat. Worryingly, too many sceptics are already rapidly evolving into bats – that is, bats in the intellectual sense.

Alistair Rodger,

Main Street,

Golspie.