Sir, The Government recently reported that child poverty is no longer the problem of the workless and the work-shy because working parents no longer earn enough to escape poverty. Currently, two thirds of poor children are from families where an adult is actually in work.
As many low and middle-income children face being worse off than their parents because of falling earnings and price rises, it was suggested that the protected benefits to wealthier pensioners, such as free TV licences and the winter fuel allowance, should be cut, along with the raising of minimum pay rates.
By way of response a spokesman for DavidCameron said: “The PM believes it right to make commitments to pensioners in relationship to state provision and the government has pledged to safeguard these benefits until the next general election.”
In addition, the Government’s Social and Mobility and Child Poverty Commission has warned that thetarget of ending child poverty by 2020 would be missed bya considerable margin,leaving as many as twomillion children in poverty.
Perhaps it is a bit cynical, but nevertheless true, tosuggest the principal factor in deciding to support wealthy pensioners before disadvantaged children has much to do with the fact that the children in question will not have a vote in 2015.
Allan A. MacDougall. 37 Forth Park, Bridge of Allan.
A bump in the road plan
Sir, Yet another pressure group is seeking a lower speed limit for their area. This time it is the Balgarvie estate in Scone (The Courier, 15/10).
The reason given by the campaigners is the need to stop cars speeding through residential areas. If they are speeding, presumably the drivers are exceeding the 30mph limit. How will the lowering of the speed limit to 20mph have any effect on them? The only drivers affected will be those who observe the speed limits in any case and who drive according to the conditions at a safe speed often below the limit, whatever it is.
George K. McMillan. 5 Mount Tabor Avenue, Perth.
All for a rational response
Sir, The UK economy is a high-energy economy that consumes a lot of energy but does not produce that much. Every year we import 75% of the coal we consume and, in a cold winter, as much as 70% of the gas we consume. As a result, every year we have a large balance of payments deficit, which results in an increase in our foreign debt and causes a gradual devaluation in the value of the pound so that every year we have to pay more for the energy we import, which pushes up the cost of energy and increases the cost of the goods we produce, making them more difficult to sell.
The present policy of reducing Government borrowing cannot solve this fundamental problem. The only way out of this vicious circle is to produce more energy within the UK, but all of the technologies we can use to do this coal, fracking, nuclear or wind power are unpopular in one way or another. The other alternative is to use less.
Meanwhile, many people are suffering real hardship as a result of the general increase in energy costs, which is a crude form of price rationing.
It has been suggested that because of this hardship we should have a moratorium on energy price rises. Unfortunately, the balance of payments problem means that the only way this can be done, while retaining the confidence of our creditors, is by introducing a formal system of energy rationing that gives preferential treatment to some disadvantaged groups but also, overall, reduces total UK energy consumption.
Philip Roberts. Ascurry Mill, by Letham, Angus.
Solution lies under our feet
Sir, There is little point in politicians posturing about price fixing our domestic energy prices, a promise that looks nice on paper but is wholly futile and unsustainable. Accepting that the big six companies make obscene profits for their shareholders an area where some pressure could be brought to bear the real problem lies with the purchase of energy from suppliers outwith this country, with prices outwith our control.
France supplies more than three quarters of its electricity by nuclear power reactors and Germany is building coal-fired generator plants at a prodigious rate, using its own natural coal resources. Britain is closing coal-fired plants without installing any viable alternatives.
As always, we cosy up to Brussels and invest vast amounts of subsidies ininefficient “green energy.” The result is that we have to import massive quantities of foreign oil and gas from neighbouring shores at whatever prices they see fit to impose and, as always, we, the consumers, have to pay.
We have huge seams of coal and shale oil underground, simply inviting exploitation, with the augmentation of nuclear power. Can ourpoliticians not once defy Brussels and the green energy brigade, abandon the heavy subsidisation of windfarms and follow the lead of France and Germany?
David L Thomson. 24 Laurence Park, Kinglassie.
The figures and the facts
Sir, I refer to the article about the level of Fife crime being at its lowest since 2007 (Saturday’s Courier), but this refers to recorded crime, not actual crime. There is a vast difference, but it looks good.
John McDonald. 14 Rosebery Court, Kirkcaldy.