Readers' letters - January 20

Pensioners deserve better social care

According to many reports, social care is at breaking point.

The introduction of a rise in council tax especially for social care is the Government’s latest attempt to get extra money into the system.

There are many problems with this approach.

1. Will the extra money actually be used for social care?

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2. Will local authorities reduce the amount of money normally allocated to social care by the amount raised by the extra council tax?

3. Will local authorities stop allocating money to social care and rely entirely on the extra in council tax to fund social care?

4. Will local authorities have to publish the amount raised?

5. Will it make any difference to the quality of social care?

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The problems being experienced by hospitals this winter show what happens when social care collapses.

A proper funded social care system would keep many older people out of hospital as well as freeing up beds.

Social care should be combined and funded “through general taxation” and should be made clear to all MPs.

Regulators have warned that funding cuts to social care have started adding 
to pressures in the NHS, 
with A&E units bearing the brunt.

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More than 1.2 million people with care needs now receive no formal or informal help.

We know Brexit is the number one priority for the Government.

Make health and social care the number two priority.

Pensioners deserve better care.

Derek Barton

Press officer
West Lancashire Pensioners
Affiliated to North West Regional Pensioners Association

technology

You are in control of your phone

Regrettably the article, Are phones now too smart for their own good?, contained misleading statements (LP, January 14).

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You can create your own file system and store as much music as you like using free software such as DropBox that has a “make available offline option”. And with an internet connection you can access many free storage systems such as Google Drive with masses of free storage – all of it under your control.

I have used an iPhone for many years and never employed their iTunes system to listen to my music. Amazon, and others, provide excellent alternatives. The article states that, even if you create your own app, “the iPhone doesn’t allow you to run those programs: only software authorised by Apples and distributed via the Apple Store is permitted”. My own company has thousands of apps in use on iPhones throughout the country and not one of them has been authorised (nor has required to be authorised) by Apple, and not one of them has been (or has required to have been) distributed via the Apple Store.

This process does not require much expertise. The Times recently ran a Learn To Code In A Day series that explained how this could be done, in one day, by someone with no previous coding skills.

Ken Holt

Managing Director

Castlefields Computer Consultants

Preston

sport

Come on PNE fans – show support

Apart from Rotherham United and Burton Albion, PNE had shocking support after the Lord Mayor’s show v the Gunners.

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We wouldn’t have anywhere near a good championship club without our owner. It’s really not fair to the club or the players. These are League One attendances and should, at the very least, have an average of 15,000 plus as a thanks for a decent team.

Division 4 (League 2) Portsmouth had 3,000 more, even next to the bottom Notts County almost equalled our pathetic and unfair support.

That’s probably why Bailey Wright wouldn’t sign a new contract.

Bristol City, although going through a shocking run of form, attracted almost 20,000. This is really worrying, and not fair on the decent players. We have the decent manager, we have Mr Trevor Hemmings.

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Come on, all games are now going to be very interesting. Book your seat and give the team the support they deserve.

Brian Lockley

Fulwood

traffic

Police not council are responsible

As a former police officer, I am aghast at the arguments concerning the signage at the junction of Mount Street and Fishergate. The blue signs in place are confusing because usually blue signs are directory and advisory and not mandatory.

The correct sign would be a NO ENTRY sign with the words “Except for buses and hackney carriages between 11am-6pm”.

Contravened drivers would have to be served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) for failing to comply with the directions given by a traffic sign.

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This necessitates a NIP to be issued, signed by the driver at the time served, a HORT/1 to produce driving documents, and the offence is also endorsable.

The procedure would have to be carried out by a police officer and not by civilians, resulting in the police interviewing 23,000 drivers. Lancashire Police seem to be conspicuously absent and seem to be happy in allowing civilians to direct traffic, adding to the confusion. The police are responsible for the regulation and control of traffic and not Lancashire County Council, whose councillors, in the main, are not from Preston but seem intent on taking control of our city.

Norman Abram

Cottam

brexit

Having your cake and eating it

Theresa May’s plans for a Brexit are certainly bold. But considering her authoritarian style as Home Secretary, nobody will be too surprised by the way she is suggesting that she be allowed to have her cake, while still eating it.

However, in setting her sights on obtaining a similar trade deal to the current one or even a better one, while not offering to contribute or accept any of the strings attached, will surely be doomed to failure. Her plans are not based upon sound logic nor a sound bargaining hand, but upon a demand we get superior trade deals simply because we are the UK.

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Arguably, if the UK comes out of Europe with a better deal than those countries still within the EU, then that will surely be the final nail in the coffin of the EU project. Why would any country want to belong to a ‘club’ where better deals are on offer to those outside of it? Additionally, it also makes a mockery of the billions we have poured into the EU for the past 40 years, if we end up with a better deal without having to contribute a penny into the system.

Paul Dodenhoff

via email