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Skills should be made a priority in our schools
From: Dr K Swann, Gomersal, Cleckheaton. JENNY Close's letter "We must get graduates to work" (Yorkshire Post, January 7) raises a concern that your columns have included previously regarding the shortage of the appropriate skills to ensure our future competitiveness. However, there has been a move by universities to address this deficiency.
The leading universities, including Cambridge and the London School of Economics, have drawn up a list of the less academic A-levels with a warning that candidates with more than one of such like media studies, travel and tourism, dance and sports studies are unlikely to be given a place.
With regard to lack of "experience" of graduates, there is no preventing students gaining experience in industry and commerce during the holiday periods or short breaks from studies.
It is sad that the issue of skills deficiency is still with
us despite numerous independent research reports advocating the change requiring to maintain our competitive position despite threats from developing economies.
In 2007, we had the view of the universally acclaimed US economist Alan Greenspan making the point that the UK must give more money to teachers of mathematics, science and technology. With the complexity and rapid advancement of these subjects, high skills are a necessity.
After advice from so many sources, we must hope our Prime Minister now takes the advice of Greenspan for a substantial and necessary reform of our total education system to obtain our future prosperity.
Lifeblood of community under threat
From: Timothy Kirkhope, MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber and leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY support the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) campaign to create greater awareness of the financial needs of rural people, which highlights community-based solutions to the provision of financial services.
However, community-inspired initiatives to offer an alternative provision of post office services will not be up and running in time to plug the gap left by thousands of closures this year.
By the end of this year, 2,500 Post Office branches will be closed – and the Government is sitting back allowing the CRC to come forward with its campaign, when instead it should have done everything it could to save neighbourhood post offices. Such post offices are often the lifeblood of their communities.
The damage does not end with branch closures. Post offices are often housed within grocery or general stores in rural areas and when a branch closes local people are faced with losing the main – possibly the only – shop too. More must be done to help rural communities, not harm them.
The Government will have been responsible for the closure of more than one third of the entire Post Office network by the next election. It is a second class service from a second class Government.
Question of conscience
From: RC Curry, Adel Grange Close, Leeds.
WE may be short of organ donors, and it is right to encourage as many people as possible to consider offering in order to benefit others; but that is a contract between individual people and their conscience.
It should not be left for the state, by presumed consent, to control and decide, nor for people to have to remember to "opt out" if they do not wish to donate for personal, religious or ethical reasons.
Any attempt by the Government to even suggest that the state should dictate how our bodies should be treated after death is wrong. Furthermore, it is little time since there was criticism of the abuse of children's bodies for medical reasons. The body snatchers of former days, must not be disguised by state ownership and tacit acceptance.
Instead the Government and medical authority should be promoting and encouraging a wider understanding of the need to encourage voluntary organ donation.
From: John Hein, Montgomery Street, Edinburgh.
THE Prime Minister is to be congratulated on his firm backing for a presumed consent system for organ donations. Already the moaners are moaning – it's sad that so many people would rather that their organs rotted in the ground or went up the chimney of a crematorium than sharing them with others after their death (Yorkshire Post, January 14)
Perhaps the PM would also look into the pernicious ability of next of kin to deny the living the organs of the dead? As far as I'm concerned, what I want done with my organs after my death is none of the business of my next of kin.
Centre of attraction
From: Peter Brewster, St David's Road, Otley.
YOUR article concerning the creation of a large Marks & Spencer store in the proposed Eastgate Quarter development in Leeds centre (Yorkshire Post, January 15) reminded me of a holiday in Fiji that my wife and I had some 10 years ago. One day we were driving through a very sparsely populated area and saw a distant solitary building. As we drew near, we were astonished to see it described as "Leeds Shopping Centre".
We went in and I introduced myself to an elderly Indian gentleman after making a small purchase who turned out to be the proprietor. I asked him if had ever been to Leeds. No, he said, he had never set foot out of Fiji. Why then had he called his shop "Leeds Shopping Centre"? His reply was: "It has a very good sound." It must have a very good sound to reach the South Pacific.
Right Royal memories of entertainment
From: Reginald Bush, Vicarage Crescent, Grenoside, Sheffield.
HOW nice it is to know that the Royal Hall, Harrogate, is about to be reopened once again.
As a member of Bradfield Young Farmers' Club, in my youth, I always enjoyed the annual ball, held by the then West Riding Federation, in the Royal. Members of the Sheffield region went by motor coach each year, and such a gathering from around the West Riding was so enjoyable. Evening dress was the accepted wear and we always had two military band teams giving continuous music.
The hall, the music, and the spirit of the young farmers, made the evening so enjoyable – never to be forgotten.
I trust the hall will be given its deserved appreciation by future generations.
Lessons needed on crime and punishment
From: BJ Cussons, Curly Hill, Ilkley.
THOSE who have preached for years that discipline
leads to violence have been proven wrong time and time again.
Surely the terrible tragedy that has happened to Mrs Helen Newlove and her family (Yorkshire Post, January 17) will at last provoke a change at both Government and society's own level?
It is incredible that her husband Garry should have been killed by a youth freed on bail just hours earlier.
Our predecessors' maxim that "the devil finds work for idle hands to do" can no longer be ignored.
By all means recognise that some are disadvantaged by their own parents but, at the same time, teach them that
if they break the law they will be punished with a punishment which will make them truly aware of the consequences and discourage them from making the same mistake twice.
Everyone trying to live a normal life now feels threatened whether from ignorant yobs or from professional criminals. It has got to stop.
Listen to environmentalists, not the businessmen
From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Leeds.
Chris Haskins's article (Yorkshire Post, January 14) was full of contradictions. For example, he praised intensive farming for producing cheap and abundant food, and then revealed that he doesn't eat "intensively produced" chickens because they are "tasteless". So much for good quality food production then!
His reflections on the allegedly adverse impact of free range animals on "CO2 and methane emissions", and the commensurate consequences for global warming, were utterly bizarre.
Recent studies have revealed that the average Briton consumes five times more protein than is necessary to sustain good health. As a nation, we eat too much. All people could eat better if they ate less. It is always a question of choice.
I am not a vegetarian. I am not a rich man – far from it. And yet, I have never, and shall never, buy "factory farmed" produce.
I choose to buy free-range and, if possible, organic produce. I do so for reasons of health and ethics: and have no desire to consume a cocktail of chemicals (the cumulative effect of which can only be detrimental to good health),
or to eat the flesh of animals that have been treated barbarously.
Governments ought to listen less to big businessmen like Lord Haskins and more to genuine environmentalists like the Prince of Wales.
Indeed, Prince Charles has taken the lead in showing
how good food can be produced ethically, and with respect for the environment. And in accordance with the finest principles of "social justice", all the profits from the Duchy Originals range of produce go to the Prince's Charitable Trust, which helps and supports disadvantaged young people.
Yet more deception
From: PA Sherwood,
South Kilvington,
Thirsk.
We appear to be getting yet more deception from this Government, now in the form of Peter Hain and his antics.
Apart from his aspirations as a leadership contender, this man is in charge of the Department of Work and Pensions.
Had Hain been unemployed, or otherwise involved as a "client" of the DWP, and he had omitted to pass on relevant information when seeking any form of benefits the department and its insidious investigators would have hounded him.
Hain neglected to declare 103,000. Had he forgotten to report a 3,000 investment when seeking unemployment benefit he would have no doubt been prosecuted.
We can restrain US
From: Don Burslam,
Elm Road, Dewsbury Moor, Dewsbury.
TED Bromund's article (Yorkshire Post, January 14) provided an interesting view of America from their angle. In some ways, their experience is similar to ours in an earlier age. In our palmy days, we built the greatest empire the world has ever seen and our rapacious methods probably exceeded America's. We made a lot of enemies, just as the US has now.
If we are going to continue with a close relationship let us take a more robust approach. America needs a restraining influence and we are the only ones who can do it.
Man is the real killer
From: Pauline Wright, Thornborough, near Bedale, North Yorkshire.
WITH reference to John Redhead's letter (Yorkshire Post, January 12) regarding the fox, perhaps he should remember that man is a far better killer of his fellow creatures than the fox will ever be. Humans need neither the adornment of a pointed nose nor bushy tail in order to carry out their atrocities. The fox has the excuse of "animal" behaviour, we have the "non-excuse" of development and human civilisation in our pursuit of destruction. We develop weapons to destroy our fellow men, women and children. When did any animal do that?
Well done
From: David Quarrie, Lynden Way, Acomb, York.
THANK you very much for your series "The Changing Face of Yorkshire". It has provided proof of the damage being done to our country.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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