Leaky argument

In his letter about the BP oil spill (5 May) Mr Fiddimore seems to be trying to connect two completely unrelated incidents.

BP has little choice in accepting the costs of the spill since it operates the production unit. It has no relevance that it is near the USA, no matter where in the world the rig is working. It is BP's responsibility.

As for trying to get money from the UK government, BP is a publicly listed company and if this reduces its profits and possibly even its share price (down 20 billion on Tuesday but already recovering), it is not connected in any way to the government other than that a reduced profit would mean less tax paid.

The UK government has no need to finance BP in any way.

As for the banks and the subprime mortgages, the Scottish banks arranged these mortgages and bought packages of mortgages in an open free market. These were sold under normal market conditions.

So why the companies in the US should be expected to reimburse the British banks for something they bought quite openly (if stupidly) is puzzling.

The only thing that should be happening is that the procurator fiscal in Edinburgh should be investigating if there was any illegal activity in these banks during these rather strange purchases or was it just complete incompetence.

BRUCE D SKIVINGTON

Pairc a Ghlib

Strath, Gairloch

Wester Ross