Tuesday's Letters: Arguments against means tests for winter fuel

I REFER to David Craggs's letter on means testing of the winter fuel payment (Yorkshire Post, August 27) and would like to add the following:

Means testing discriminates against those who have paid fully into the National Insurance and have tried but failed to obtain a second pension that is adequate or have small savings that are just above the limit.

The very elderly who have no family are too proud to claim.

Gordon Brown was over-generous to those who claim pensioners' credit, not only has it risen at a faster rate than the basic state pension which is contributory but it unlocks the door to numerous freebies. Serps and graduated pension (big cons if ever there was one) are both frozen.

If means testing were done properly, everything would be checked out on computer but this would be labour intensive and expensive and no doubt there would be an outcry from those who say that it was intrusive – but it would prevent many frauds, though it would not close all loopholes.

Means testing gives future generations the wrong message. If you don't pay into a pension fund or save, the nanny state will take care of you and you will be better off. This could lead to the eventual collapse of the system.

If the winter fuel allowance and the bus pass were means tested, it would cause great hardship for those who are just over the limit.

Pensioners who feel they don't need a bus pass don't have to show it.

The winter fuel allowance and the bus pass should be given on retirement and not according to age.

The facts behind global warming

From: David Holland, Sherwood Avenue, Doncaster.

THE heat shield theory put forward by Arthur Quarmby (Yorkshire Post, September 3) might seem logical to the non- scientist but I am afraid it is simply wrong. The Earth's atmosphere does indeed offer some protection from the most damaging radiation from the sun but this is not the "greenhouse" problem.

Water vapour is always present in the atmosphere and is invisible. Clouds are condensation, fine water droplets and not gas.

The Earth receives its heat energy from the sun in the form of electromagnetic waves in the infra-red region of the spectrum. These waves carry no heat through space but when they are absorbed by matter they cause an increase in molecular kinetic energy and heat is produced.

The small wavelength, high frequency infra-red waves penetrate the atmosphere (and glass) just like visible light penetrates glass. As the earth heats up, it begins to re-radiate infra-red rays but of a larger wavelength and lower frequency.

These larger wavelength rays cannot pass through the atmosphere just like they cannot pass through glass and are thus trapped causing an increase in temperature.

This is how the greenhouse works and gives rise to the term "greenhouse effect". The so-called greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour) are very effective in preventing the radiation passing back through the atmosphere so the heat is trapped. In short, they act like a one-way system – the radiant heat can penetrate in but cannot get out.

Increasing these gases, as we are doing by burning fossil fuels has little effect on the inward penetration of the rays but significantly reduces the outward radiation – hence the Earth is dangerously warming up.

Wasteful spending

From: Coun James Alexander, Leader of

City of York Council's Labour Opposition Group, Holgate, York.

I READ with interest the article regarding Lib Dem controlled City of York Council's debt ("Council's debt nearly doubles", Yorkshire Post, September 3).

Lib Dem council leader Andrew Waller said: "Given the wreckage of the national economy that the Labour Party has left behind, they are whistling in the wind here. They are selectively quoting figures."

The truth is his administration has borrowed to pay for his wasteful spending. When the Lib Dems took control of York Council in 2003, the debt level was 62m, it is now 116m. This is higher than countries like Greenland. Since 2003, the Labour Government awarded York an additional 21.14m while the Lib Dems still increased council tax year on year. They paid 30.6m over this period in interest payments alone. Annual payments have reached almost 5m a year – enough to build a first-class swimming pool within two years (an increase of 35 per cent since 2003).

Labour government spending in certain areas was too high, but during the period 1997-2010 the increase in national debt as a percentage of GDP was 11.2 per cent and during the John Major government it increased by 15.2 per cent.

What lies beneath

From: RD Leakey, Giggleswick, Settle,

North Yorkshire.

THERE'S something unique about Alum Pot that Yorkshire Dales experts like Malcolm Barker should be told (Yorkshire Post, September 3).

From a 96-year-old cave explorer who, in the 1930s, explored that area, what should be known is that the streams of water from Ingleborough Hill's south eastern side that fall down Alum Pot do not then flow on into the river Ribble. They flow under or beneath the river and

surface on the Penyghent hill slopes on the eastern side of the Ribble.

The water finishes its cavern journey in a small pond lake north of the eastern side of Horton village. As I understand it, this was proved when a barrel of waste dye or heavy oil was poured down Alum Pot and eventually surfaced at the small pond lake on the Penyghent side of the river.

If I am correct about this, the under-river Ribble cavern should be a good laboratory to test underwater mobile diving technology.

The real wrongdoers

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

MUCH discussion has followed the conviction of the drunk who urinated on a war memorial. This is one of many incidents in recent times. "Jail 'em for 10 years," comes the cry.

Yet no discussion has been held on the politicians who caused the deaths which are recorded on these monuments. Monuments to arrogant, illegal warmongers

By all means, punish those who defile monuments, but vilify and where possible, prosecute those politicians and war leaders who caused them to be erected in the first place.

And not forgotten are the unsung heroes of covert wars who will not grace a monument, or the 305 Argentinians consigned to the deep during the Falklands conflict when the General Belgrano was sunk.

A city's courage in the face of ferocious air attacks

From: Mac Staveley, Newcomen Street, Hull.

I COULD not believe my ears; the best kept secret for over 65 years was suddenly unmasked while I was watching a recent edition of Coast on BBC2.

This episode covered the Humber. While the film showed briefly the city of Hull, the presenter and narrator, Neil Oliver, casually announced that Hull had suffered heavily during the 1939/45 war from the Luftwaffe, and then went on to say that Hull was the most heavily bombed place in the UK, outside London.

I nearly fell out of my chair. For years, the citizens of Hull have constantly been told of the cities and towns that suffer heavy air raids during the war but never a mention of Hull.

The problem was BBC Home Service news in the 1940s would announce that last night enemy bombers raided a town on the North-East coast. They could not even get that right – Hull was and is a city.

For some reason known only to the authorities, if say Coventry or any other city had suffered an air raid, they would be named, but it appears that to name Hull would have given high intelligence to the enemy. Somehow I feel sure the Luftwaffe pilots knew they had bombed Hull.

Yes, the German bombers came night after night laying waste to large tracks of the city centre, the old town and much of the suburbs. Indeed, the impression was that Gring and his pilots had become very fond of Hull. They not only dropped high explosives, incendiaries but on at least three occasions sprayed the city streets with machine guns. Perhaps now the proud city and its proud people can be recognised for their courage in the face of these vicious air attacks and the brave fortitude shown in dealing with a desperate episode.

Priorities for NHS treatment

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

I AGREE with Dr Hilary Andrews that it is a disgrace that obesity surgery should be available on the NHS when patients cannot get the cancer drugs they need (Yorkshire Post, September 3).

Nor should the following be available on the NHS: breast enhancement, breast reduction (except in cases where it might avert spinal or postural problems) and any other form of cosmetic surgery (except in the case of significant disfiguration).

We are all born imperfect and we should be thankful if we are blessed with decent health without expecting others to foot the bill if we are not satisfied with the way we look.

Hole truth about mints

From: Michael Iveson, Clencoe, Summerbridge, Harrogate.

I WAS intrigued by your article concerning the import of Polo mints to York from Indonesia (Yorkshire Post, September 2) and I share the feelings of regret at the reasons for Poundworld doing so.

However, all is not lost, for surely at the moment we pop the said sweets into our mouths, the hole in the middle is pure Yorkshire, or has that been sent half way round the world as well?

Perhaps the matter might be raised in Parliament? It is more important than many of the other matters that receive attention.

Extra cruel

From: Max Nottingham, St Faith's Street, Lincoln.

WE watch The X Factor when it gets down to people who can really sing.

Some people think the early rounds of the show have turned us into "a nation of bullies".

There is something in that. I would not mind seeing Simon Cowell squirm in a hail of ripe tomatoes. But to tempt vulnerable would-be singers into a boot camp situation is just cruel. Full stop. I would expect Cheryl Cole to speak out against what is going on. She has a degree of sensitivity.

People pests

From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Farnley Ring Road, Leeds.

BRIAN Sheridan (Yorkshire Post, September 1) reveals a pious desire to visit the Angel of Death upon certain, selective species

of wildlife.

Hmm. Invoking the doctrine of pantheism, might not the animals seek a reciprocal arrangement for those

"people pests" who so persistently and mercilessly persecute them.