Readers' letters - November 27

Dear Minister, I had to go and see a GP at my surgery a couple of days ago.

It had to be any GP that was available.

Whilst waiting in the waiting area, I noticed on the board that, at my surgery for October 2017, there were 332 missed appointments.

The lady that was sat 
next to me with her daughter said that, in Leeds, where she is from, they had over 400 missed appointments.

What is the failed attendance up and down the country?

This is not acceptable.

There is no excuse for someone who cannot make it to their appointment not to cancel it.

If they can make a call to make an appointment, then they are capable of cancelling it.

It is high time there is an enforcement on this behaviour.

It is not acceptable given that it is not always easy to get an appointment.

This behaviour is irresponsible and cannot be allowed any longer.

There must be some sort of sanction in place.

What are you going to do about this issue Minister?

It is high time that changes are made within our NHS.

Coun Liz Scott

Independent
Lancaster City Council

energy

We’re not paid to protest

I have been told by a friend, who overheard it on a bus, that the protesters at Cuadrilla’s fracking site

on Preston New Road are paid £80 a day by Greenpeace.

This would be a very useful addition to my pension (yes, I have had a job, thank you).

Alas, it is not

true!

Most of the protesters are local to the area, many of us pensioners reluctantly spending our hard-earned retirement by the side of a road in all weathers to protest against this inherently risky industry with its toxic consequences.

Our reward will be to secure the safety of our children and grandchildren – and yours.

We are supported at times by representatives of the Green, Labour and Lib Dem Parties, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, various trades unions and others, including people from many parts of England also under threat from the hundreds of PEDL licences issued.

We are also supported by some people who are so appalled by the harm to our health and our environment posed by this process that they have left jobs, homes and families to do what they can to stop it wherever it occurs.

These are the ones labelled ‘professional protesters’, although they are certainly not paid by anybody and do what they do from a deep sense of conviction that they are prepared to act upon.

The sad thing is that it is unnecessary.

The Government’s own Strategic Assessment Report on Security of Gas Supply found that the UK has “a healthy capacity margin to 2035” without fracking.

By then, if we are to avoid catastrophic global warming, we must be well on the way to replacing all fossil fuels with renewable energy which is where the investment, tax breaks and planning support going to fracking should be directed.

Jill Walton

Inskip

brexit

EU’s Lanky maxim

Ever been mugged?

The EU has a ‘gruesome twosome’ trying every which way to screw the last euro out of the UK for having the temerity to leave their totalitarian organisation, despite there being no legal obligation to pay them a red euro cent.

Juncker and Barnier are the two unelected D-list politicos charged with representing the EU in ‘negotiating’ our leaving terms.

Prior to any discussion, Juncker stated: “We must punish the UK” and “The UK will have to pay – they can’t be seen to benefit and will get no favours”.

And more recently, “It will be a miracle if any trade talks start before Christmas”.

Barnier said: “We intend to educate the British – they must be taught what leaving the EU means”.

So much for an open-minded responsible attitude to start negotiations.

In fact, across the table, talks are painfully slow – 20 days in the six months since commencement.

The EU has no incentive to reach a swift, amicable conclusion.

The longer they take, the more billions of euros we pour into their coffers.

PM May has already agreed a two-year ‘transition’ period and £20bn sweetener, described with sheer arrogance by the Italian PM as ‘peanuts’.

Barnier was seething when our man David Davis insisted on justifying EU claims line by line, a wise move since EU accounts have not been signed off for 20 years.

Why are we so anxious

to shovel nose-bleeding sums to an outfit with

which we have a trading deficit?

Japan, US, China et al trade quite happily without paying for the privilege.

There is no hope of agreeing a settlement.

Whatever is finally agreed will then have to be ratified by 27 other countries.

No chance.

Walk away now.

Would the EU be so keen to do a deal if one of the poorer East European countries decided to leave and demanded four years’ rebate they were due?

Juncker and Barnier have at least learnt one thing from us – the old Lanky maxim – What’s yours is mine, what’s mine’s my

own.

Pete Hanslip

Lostock Hall