Cost savings don’t merit single police force

I WAS interested in your article (News, 26 February) suggesting that a single Scottish Police Force may have to pay £22 million in VAT a year, the equivalent of 800 employees. This could potentially wipe out the gains in police officers made over the past few years, and therefore the issue deserves much more extensive coverage and research than it is getting at present.

A Nationalist MSP is calling on Westminster to waive any VAT that might then be due but surely, given that it is the Scottish Parliament who are suggesting the change in policing structure, they should be responsible for covering any additional costs that arise because of this change.

Given that community safety is fundamental to all our lives, I would have thought that Scotland’s politicians and media should be spending more time on issues like this and less time going round in circles on independence for example, interesting as that might be.

We need some proper debate on the police restructuring process before final commitment to it. If it does not stack up financially, there is no point.

Responsibility lies with those advocating it. Let us not be persuaded that someone else is responsible if the proposal is not viable.

Victor Clements, Aberfeldy