Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – Every day blind and partially-sighted people face extra costs as a direct result of living with sight loss.
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) helps cover some of these expenses so I am extremely concerned by the Government’s plans to replace it, spending 20% less on a new benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The proposed test for PIP fails to recognise the challenges faced by people living with sight loss.
This could leave thousands of people without support to do everyday things that people with sight take for granted.
This could be paying for assistance with repairs or cleaning around the home, or food labelling systems to ensure they don’t eat food which has gone off.
The Government said that PIP would be fair and support disabled people to remain independent, yet many blind and partially-sighted people will be excluded.
As the father of a registered blind daughter who is about to start university these changes cause me great worry.
I also feel that it is unfair that the proposals may take away the higher rate of DLA that has just been awarded to blind people as of April 2011.
I have asked my MP to write to the Government raising these concerns on my behalf, because the help blind and partially-sighted people get from DLA is not a luxury it means that they can live independently.
Thomas Pringle.Appin of Dull,Aberfeldy.
Tourists would flock to this museum
Sir, – I wish to echo Brian Lawrenson’s question in his letter of May 16: does Dundee City Council have a vision for the waterfront which includes a museum of maritime history incorporating Discovery, Unicorn, North Carr and the many other aspects of the city’s maritime heritage?
Or is it so obsessed with the V&A development that it cannot see the economic and tourist potential such a centre would bring?
Dundee’s connections to the seas are so significant and so numerous trade with the Low Countries, fishing, whaling, Admiral Duncan and Camperdown, jute and the Indies, the Fifies, submarines, shipbuilding, oil etc that it seems scarcely credible that a city with such a history has so far failed to build upon it.
The new council now has the SNP at the helm and the SNP government is keen to emphasise the importance of everyone understanding Scotland’s history and heritage so perhaps the new councillors can lift their heads and establish a maritime museum which would complement the V&A development?
History tells us that having your eggs in more than one basket is always useful!
Hugh Macrae.Dalblair,Union Street,Coupar Angus.
Unsustainable fish losses
Sir, – I was interested to read Mr Pullar’s comments regarding the Association of Fisheries Board’s concern over the increase in netting around Scotland (Netting firm rejects claims).
These concerns stem from the local impact of increased netting and the damaging effect of killing too many fish.
Whilst Mr Pullar may be right that more fish are killed nationally by anglers than by netsmen, he fails to mention that his own netting station in the South Esk district killed 6,500 salmon. Anglers on the river killed fewer than 400.
That sort of carnage is unsustainable, both from a conservation point of view and a moral one.
Due to a lack of sustained runs on the South Esk, there is now only one full-time ghillie.
He is correct in stating that netsmen have a heritable right to kill fish.
He should not have the right, however, to deprive others of income, jobs and pleasure by using those rights to kill so many fish.
Adam Ryndycz.Brechin Angling Club.
Beavers help the river banks
Sir, – It is extraordinary for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association to complain of beaver damage when gillies, on behalf of fishery managers, regularly cut trees at the edge of rivers.
Beavers cut willow and other trees in the winter when the goodness is in the roots and cut well above ground and at an angle or a pencil point all of which leads to vigorous coppice and bushy regrowth in nearly all cases.
The short bushy willow found in beaver zones helps stabilise river banks.
By contrast it is not uncommon for fishermen to cut willow next to the ground with chainsaws, burn it and for farmers to graze the riverbank with sheep or cattle causing loss of riparian woodland and bank erosion.
Louise Ramsay.Bamff,Alyth.
A sterling job
Sir, – I spent a few days in Edinburgh last week and travelled around on buses.
I have nothing but admiration for Edinburgh bus drivers who have had a major upheaval to their job with chaotic diversions forced on them by the council.
They were all very friendly and polite and doing a sterling job in the face of adversity.
Gordon Kennedy.117 Simpson Square,Perth.
Binned?
Sir – I’m sure the newly elected council for Fife have the collective wit to consign Councillor Brett’s concerns about Provost Leishman to the dustbin (Lib Dem homes in on Leishman’s council tax).
I have a print of a 17th century map of Fife which shows Fife’s boundary running north from Culross with Loch Leven well inside the Fife boundary by several miles (Scots).
That would, therefore, include Mr Leishman’s house.
A T Geddie.68 Carleton Avenue,Glenrothes.
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.