YP Letters: Paper is more efficient and reliable than digital system

A disgraceful amount of time and money is being wasted in our government department’s local government and court system because of Whitehall’s obsession with turning every service into a digital one.

If you want to apply for a benefit of any kind now in my local town from the council you have to go down to the town hall and they have to fill in an online form for you when you have no computer at home.

How much is that costing? Many systems aren’t good enough yet and do not work properly. A week ago I had to hand up a list of a client’s previous convictions for a judge to read.

That happened the week before too twice. I spent six hours in court on Friday with four other lawyers essentially waiting for one letter to come through. I took paper copies to court for my own part and I was able to hand them round to other parties. Some had received the document digitally whilst others said they had not. The whole day was wasted and progress was not made because of a technical hitch over one letter.

Whitehall exposed large parts of the NHS to shut down just a month ago because of hackers. The courts are grinding to a halt. Massive amounts of judges’ time is being wasted. Goodness alone knows how much money is being wasted. We need to go back to paper systems now and stop all this foolishness. When top civil servants in Whitehall have created such a huge gigantic mess of public services costing us taxpayers a fortune shouldn’t we be asking if they need to be sacked over this?

No doubt they will be getting honours in the New Years Honours List instead.

A one-nation way is vital

From: Pierre A Richterich, Curly Hill, Ilkley.

It was reassuring to read the excellent article by Elizabeth Peacock (The Yorkshire Post, July 24). It is sad that we now have far fewer politicians with the integrity and good sense Elizabeth Peacock has always demonstrated. We certainly need leaders with more worldly experience, not political minions.

Her appeal for a one-nation approach to this and so many other problems is so essential if we are to make progress as a nation.

Elizabeth showed a clear bi-partisan approach with her strong support of Jo Cox.