Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir,-Politicians in the UK better be squeaky clean with no skeletons in the cupboard when they pick a fight with the newspapers especially one of Murdoch’s. He can always get round D-notices by publishing the facts abroad.
We are fighting a war in Afghanistan and another one in Libya and what do we get? A full house talking about the newspapers spying on MPs?
They care nothing for anyone else and are using the poor murdered girl and her parents as a weapon to use against Murdoch; at one time their best friend. It is all a smokescreen to bring in laws to protect them from another expenses scandal.
They should be discussing how to get out of the mess of fighting unwinnable wars and stopping the flow of immigrants.
Blair, Brown and Cameron all used spying. We are under surveillance every day, especially the sick and unemployed. What we are seeing is another turn of the screw on freedom of speech and of the press leading to the protection of politicians from exposure by tabloids.
This email will probably have been intercepted by government security on the pretext of national security.
Politicians like to have the title of Right Honourable, but this certainly is no longer appropriate at Westminster. It is time we had a real opposition there. All we have is one clique pretending to be three.
John G Phimister.63 St Clair Street,Kirkcaldy.
Frightening experience
Sir,-With regard to attempting to access medical records I have personal experience of an attempt by a third party to access my confidential medical records without my consent or justifiable reason.
It was an extremely upsetting and frightening experience. I repeatedly complained to the manager of the persons involved in this unlawful action but my letters were ignored.
Eventually, I felt that I had no alternative but to report the matter to the police. The officers who took my statement were extremely supportive and investigated the situation.
The doctor who had received the unlawful request was interviewed with reference to The Access to Medical Reports Act (1988). This law is clear; it is unlawful to attempt to access medical records without consent.
However, I was astonished to learn from a senior police officer that as this is a civil matter. The police officers had acted in error and had no remit to take any action.
Although it is is a crime to attempt to break into a building, it is not a crime to attempt to access the confidential information held in medical records. It was a shocking lesson that people who try to do this can easily get away with it.
In my case I became aware of the attempt before the doctor provided the information and I was able to advise her that I had not given consent for the third party to access that information and that the reason given for the attempt was untrue.
I am an ordinary person and never imagined that I could be a victim of such intimidating action.
Individuals who suspect that someone has attempted to access their medical records can report the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office giving details of who has made the attempt.
However, unless the doctor has provided information, no action can be taken. It appears that it is open season for anyone to have a go at hunting through the confidential medical records of others.
Fiona McClymont.5 Camus Place,Craigton of Monikie.
Cover-up continues
Sir,-The publication this week of the report on child abuse in the Irish Diocese of Cloyne reveals once more the culpability of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, including the Vatican, in the systematic cover-up of child sex abuse by priests.
And this latest report covers a period during which we were repeatedly informed by the Catholic Church that it was now a model for child protection.
In direct parallel with another global organisation much in the news, the Catholic Church continues to exercise power without responsibility, deny the criminality and complicity of its most senior people in the crime and the cover-up, and demonstrate its utter lack of moral compass.
MPs and opinion-formers have rounded on the Murdoch empire and demanded heads should roll for its crimes. Will they now do likewise in calling for the Pope to resign? Or do they consider invasion of privacy by telephone hacking more of a crime than the abuse of children?
Alistair McBay.Lawmuirview,Methven.
Inaccurate contribution
Sir,-In his latest inaccurate and blunderbuss contribution to these columns (July13) Andrew Lawson states, “We can display symbolic coffins in the City Square, but none for Jews.”
The installation entitled A Silent Scream was first laid out in Dundee City Square in January 2009 at the height of Israel’s collective punishment of the population of Gaza entitled Operation Cast Lead. This exhibit also included six “symbolic coffins” draped in the Star of David to represent the number of Israelis who were killed up to that point in time.
In the immediate aftermath of Operation Cast Lead Naom Chomsky was to write, “There are more terrible atrocities in the world than what is being done to the caged prisoners of Gaza, but it is not easy to think of a more cruel and cowardly exhibition of human savagery, fully supported by the United States, with Europe trailing politely behind.”
I would not even dare to suggest that Andrew Lawson supported this collective slaughter of innocence which killed and maimed so many hundreds of Palestinian children in just 21 days.
Mr Lawson might also be reminded that amongst the “flotilliars” there are two Holocaust survivors.
Patrick Donachie.25 Kennet Walk,Dundee.
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.