Sir, It is a bit rich of Dr John Cameron of St Andrews to blame Ed Miliband for the high cost of household energy bills. The problems began with the Thatcher Government’s dogmatic drive towards the privatisation of all public utilities.
To be fair, however, operational changes were necessary to cope with anticipated investment needs and the international agreement to counter the onset of climate change.
These objectives could have been achieved by the setting up of non-profit making trusts to oversee both operational costs and staffing salaries, plus sufficient profit to cover investment needs and no more. It was the added cost of realising additional profits to satisfy investor interests that has brought about the prospect of fuel poverty to thousands of households.
Sadly, the profit motive turned to profiteering on a grand scale which in turn brought about the massive price hikes and it is now up to the party of government which caused the problem in the first place to do something about solving it before it is too late. There is supposed to be a regulator but that is no more than a sad joke.
Allan A MacDougall. 37 Forth Park, Bridge of Allan.
Wind and solar profiteers
Sir, Perth-based energy supplier SSE has raised its energy prices by 8.2% with others certain to follow suit. SSE blamed the Government-imposed green levies and the generous subsidies which cosset the renewables industry.
The pie chart on electricity and gas bills will confirm this unpalatable truth. The average figure for electricity is between 11 and 13%. In addition there are the horrendous costs of bringing far-off wind electricity to the grid. The Beauly to Denny line cost £600 million.
The Government must slash the overly-generous subsidies paid to wind and solar profiteers who enjoy priority grid access at fixed, above-market prices. Onshore wind developers receive a guaranteed electricity price of double the wholesale price.
These imposed “green” levies under the Renewables Obligation are projected to rise from £2 billion this year to more than £5 billion by 2018/19.
That is unsustainable. It is time to repeal that economic suicide note the Climate Change Act 2008 which started all this expensive renewables nonsense.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Let’s enjoy it at neutral venue
Sir, Why should the final of an important Scottish football competition be played at a non-neutral venue? The obvious answer is the financial interests of both clubs. But it would set a very bad precedent if a Rangers/Raith Rovers Ramsdens Cup final was to be played at Ibrox (Courier, October 14).
Other venues Murrayfield, Tynecastle, Easter Road must be considered if Celtic Park or Hampden are not available. This is a question of the game’s integrity not just one of the balance sheet position of both clubs.
Questions are already being asked about why the semi- finals of this tournament are one-leg affairs played at the home ground of one of the participants.
The final has to be played at a neutral venue if the tournament is to retain any credibility. Raith Rovers’ memorable Coca Cola cup win in 1994 was an encounter against Celtic played at Ibrox. The club moved its subsequent European tie against Bayern Munich to Easter Road to allow as many fans as possible to see the game.
Any club should have the freedom to switch home ties to a more appropriate ground. It is absurd to suggest, however, that they should switch a tie to their opponent’s ground simply for short-term financial gain. Let’s enjoy a Ramsdens Cup final at a ground where neither side can claim a sporting advantage.
Bob Taylor. 24 Shiel Court, Glenrothes.
From baking to alchemy
Sir, I do so agree with Lucy Penman’s comments about the Great British Bake Off (Monday’s Courier).
The original series provided both inspiration and encouragement to home bakers and home economics pupils throughout Scotland.
Mary Berry has long been a favourite of mine and as a former teacher of home economics I have always found her recipes and techniques most reliable and delicious to say the least.
The GBBO has shifted its emphasis to an altogether different level, from creative home baking to almost alchemy.
Given the current fashion for all things baking I find the programme almost defeatist in its content rather than uplifting and encouraging.
Eleanor Scott. Meikle Fardle Farm, Meikleour.
Latest bizarre award
Sir, The decision to give the Nobel “peace” prize to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the latest in a series of bizarre awards by the Nobel committee. Last year is was to the EU whose policies then and now of austerity were forcing millions into poverty. Before that it was Barack Obama who only got it because he was not George W Bush. He then proceeded to bomb more countries than Bush had.
If the Nobel committee had wished to be relevant it could have given the award to the OPCW back in 2002 when it was negotiating with Saddam Hussein about Iraq signing the Chemical Weapons Convention. This so incensed America that its pretext for war was being taken away it had the head of the organisation removed.
The best candidates for this year’s peace prize were either Bradley Manning or Edward Snowden. Both have stood up to the American empire and helped shine a light on its crimes. They are both paying a heavy price.
Alan Hinnrichs. 2 Gillespie Terrace, Dundee.
Good news on medicines
Sir, We were encouraged to hear the Scottish Government now have plans in place to increase the number of medicines being approved, by placing more importance on treatments intended for end of life.
This announcement gives us hope that in future women with metastatic breast cancer will get more treatment options than the very limited range they have at present.
A timely reminder of the need for reform came this past week when we saw a highly effective medicine for women with secondary (metastatic) breast cancer rejected by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. This medicine offered good quality extra months of life which we know is so important for women at this stage of their diagnosis.
We will now be working hard to ensure these reforms are carried out in full to the benefit of women with breast cancer.
James Jopling. Director for Scotland, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, 38 Thistle Street, Edinburgh.
Should it not begin at home?
Sir, Can someone please explain to me why we are giving billions of pounds in foreign aid when we have on our televisions a programme asking for money to help needy children in this country?
We also have food banks appearing everywhere, people unable to heat their homes and the roads disintegrating.
When are the numpties who are running this country north and south of the border going to come out of their ivory towers and see how the poor people live and maybe look after them before strutting the world stage dishing out taxpayers’ money willy nilly?
Bob Duncan. 110 Caesar Avenue, Carnoustie.
Need to get facts right
Sir, The Taxpayers Alliance Scotland should really do a bit more research before slandering council tenants (your front page report, Monday).
I fail to see how council tenants are a burden on anyone as the majority of them work, pay taxes, council tax and a fair rent for their housing.
Council policy for as long as I can remember has been to allow at least one reasonable refusal of an offer of housing and I can’t see a problem in that.
I know we have freedom of speech but we also have a duty of responsibility to get our facts right before maligning others. Something newspapers and certain alliances would do well to remember.
Peter Bell. Muirton Road, Arbroath.
Detail these improvements
Sir, I am resident in a rural area and have to drive to Perth to buy food and spend money in the city.
Like many others, paying a parking fee to support the economy of Perth adds to my cost of living. In Angus I would not suffer this extra cost.
Perth and Kinross Council say that money generated from parking fees pays for improvements to parking infrastructure.
May I ask Perth and Kinross Council to publish the income from parking fees for the last five years, expenditure during the last five years on improvements to parking infrastructure together with their “five-year investment plan” that outlines where, and when, improvements are to be made across our parking provision.
Garry Barnett. The Garden House, Campsie Hill, Guildtown, Perth.