Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir,-I would like to respond to Mr Cuthbert’s letter (July 18).
The Fife Safety Camera Partnership always strives to comply with the Scottish Safety Camera Programme Handbook guidance on visibility and conspicuity.
It is never our intention to undertake a covert operation or knowingly hide our mobile units, as this would be counter to our high-visibility intelligence-led enforcement strategy.
Compliance with visibility guidelines is not requisite to road traffic legislation therefore any implied non-compliance would not offer defence or mitigation in respect of an alleged speeding offence.
We welcome feedback from the public. However this appears to be an isolated observation, which we have noted and we will continue to monitor concerns relating to the visibility of our vehicles.
Road casualty reduction is the partnership’s primary objective and the Scottish Safety Camera Programme funds our operation purely for that purpose.
All monies accrued from fixed penalties go direct to HM Treasury and given that there has been a year-on-year reduction in offences this figure is significantly less than the annual operational budget.
Fife has an improving road casualty record. Therefore it is fair to say that those who profit most from casualty reduction initiatives and speed enforcement are members of the wider community, whom we continue to serve.
Andrew Jones. Partnership Manager,Glenrothes.
Temptation at Ninewells
Sir,-When returning from visiting a consultant for help with diabetes and weight issues at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, I went into the local WH Smith newsagent within the main building for a magazine.
I was more than slightly surprised to be offered big bars of chocolate for £1. I felt this was highly irresponsible on hospital premises.
Information about the rise in obesity and diabetes, as well as heart disease, is thrust at us on a daily basis by the media. It is hardly any wonder we have this situation when newsagents in hospital premises behave like this.
Fortunately, I was able to resist that time but when I spoke about it I was told that head office dictates what promotions are done on a national level. Surely common sense should come before profit.
Gordon Kennedy.117 Simpson Square, Perth.
Barry Buddon in their sights
Sir,-Bad news for Leuchars with the lose of their air base will surely mean even worse news for those living around firing ranges at Barry Buddon army camp.
I can’t imagine the good people of North East Fife will be silly enough to allow firing ranges to be built in their community for incoming troops, so nearby Barry Buddon will be the obvious place for gun practice.
The thousands living between Broughty Ferry and Carnoustie have put up with the ever increasing anti-social noise pollution for too long now, as the type of guns being used are ever more powerful with each passing year. The prospect of vastly increased troop numbers in Leuchars and Condor must be ringing alarm bells in these homes.
While standing in the playground at Carnoustie Burnside Primary recently, I could easily have been in one of the world’s trouble spots, as heavy machine gun fire was so loud. Just because firing ranges have been in Barry Buddon for 100 years does not make them fit for the people of 2011.
I am quite sure they (the MoD) can find an alternative site. After all, they are currently spending hundreds of millions of pounds trying to bomb Gaddafi’s tent in Libya, so setting up firing ranges somewhere more remote would just cost petty cash.
Allan Ireland.8 Rowanbank Gardens,Broughty Ferry.
Nuclear weapons waste money
Sir,-The one thing you would have expected our politicians to learn over the last 60 years is that Britain will never again be able to go to war alone.
Wars today are fought under the auspices of the UN (unless you’re Tony Blair) and anybody who thinks that they authorise the use of nuclear weapons when they say “all possible means” is living in cloud cuckoo land.
Our defence relies on being members of NATO. The chance of our allies authorising nuclear force is dreamland thinking.
We are going to spend billions of pounds on Trident, something that will never be used, but we don’t have the money to educate our children who are the future of this country.
A lot of brilliant people are going to be put off by the university fees.
Scotland is at least going to try to keep education free, but it’s only a matter of time before our colonial masters force their distorted thinking on to Scottish students as well.
Ron Yeoman.162 Jamphlars Road,Cardenden.
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