Readers' letters - February 23

I am astonished that this Government has not attempted to access EU funding in order to help communities hit by the floods recently.

For the benefit of those people who are taken in by those elected members backing the leave campaign, I think it is worth pointing out that the UK is entitled to apply for money from the EU Solidarity Fund. Last year it paid out more than £40m to the Governments of Bulgaria, Italy and Romania, following severe flooding in these countries, to help their communities recover.

Our Labour MEPs duly wrote to the Prime Minister at the time of Storm Desmond back in December, calling him to act and apply for the funding yet, despite the deadline almost long gone, our Prime Minister has failed to act.

Many areas in the North of England were badly affected by the storms and the floods and lives and businesses have been ruined.

It is a heart-breaking reality that communities are still feeling the impact and they will continue to unless the Government stops dithering and applies for the EU funding that the good people of this country are entitled to.

It has to be made clear that only the Government can apply for The EU Solidarity Fund.

It is time that our Prime Minister uses this funding opportunity and, in doing so, he will enhance his case for remaining in the EU as opposed to more dithering that we have seen in recent days.

Coun David Whitaker, Lancaster City Council

Voting with our head or heart?

So now we know the referendum on our membership of the European Union will take place on June 23, 2016.

Will we vote with our heart and say leave or with our head and stay in?

We are about to have four months of claims and counter-claims to muddy the waters about the merits of our membership.

My problem is that I’m old enough to remember the last one, where half-truths and myths were commonplace.

I can still remember being told that “if we stay in, you will not be allowed to buy New Zealand Butter” and other such nonsense.

There are many valid reasons for voting either way in the referendum and I would ask both sides to stick to the facts.

So on with the campaign.

My only hope is that when it is over and if we stay in, we will not keep electing UKIP MEPs who do not believe they should be there and try to stop everything, whether it is in the UK’s interest or not.

Kevan Benfold via email

Borismasters and rural buses

Lancashire County Council cuts rural bus services to save £7.5m support.

Many locals and visitors who can’t drive – like children or young people – or don’t own cars have lost their transport in rural Lancashire.

Meanwhile, publicly-funded Transport for London orders 195 more ‘Borismaster’ New Routemaster buses costing £315,000 each (total £61,425,000).

There are already 600 Borismasters in service, costing £354,000 each (total £212,400,000) together with 200 more at £325,000 each (total £65,000,000) and eight prototype buses costing £354,000 each (total £28,320,000).

That’s a grand total cost of £367,145,000.

This money could keep Lancashire’s rural buses running for over 48 years.

We have all contributed to this in our taxes.

I don’t know about you but it makes me think.

Aidan Turner-Bishop, Preston

Darryl sums up our feelings

Darryl Morris’ barn-storming column perfectly summed up how many of us feel as the Government seeks to force fracking on unwilling Lancastrians (LEP February 15).

It was interesting to see Cuadrilla’s letter in response just a few days later (LEP February 19).

Clearly Cuadrilla’s “Government Affairs” director is used to getting his own way – what with ministers bending over backwards to fast-track their plans.

With no sense of irony, Cuadrilla accuses your columnist of “scaremongering”, while telling us our energy supplies are at risk without fracking. An absurd a claim as is saying shale gas, an extreme fossil fuel, is “low carbon”.

Cuadrilla failed to convince councillors and local communities that fracking would be safe or desirable for Lancashire.

Don’t blame people for pointing out the obvious, that if Government forces it upon us it will be a travesty of democracy.

Mr M Holt, Leyland

Taxpayers’ cash wasted again

Why am I not surprised to see another controversial scheme by either our county or local council sent to the scrap yard (£2bn recycling scheme dumped, LEP February 20)? It is an outrage that, once again, local taxpayers’ money is squandered.

It never ceases to amaze me how a group’s decision can result in losses on this scale through bad planning and blinkered foresight. I certainly hope that someone’s head will roll for this one. Or do we just await the next reported massive shortfall in the county’s finance? It’s hardly a surprise we are at the bottom of the national handout when it comes to government allowances.

One thing is certain, if I had been responsible in my employment for any of the many, many aborted schemes that they have been responsible for, I would now be out of on my ear.

Hard-working taxpayer

The uses of slippery elm

In reply to Allan Fazackerley (LEP Letters February 22), slippery elm can still be bought at health food shops in powder form, tablets and bark. It’s used for indigestion, dyspepsia, heartburn and flatulence.

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