Letters: Capital should let publicans work on level playing field

THE claim that dozens of pubs have applied for Sunday extensions (News, 27 April) from 8am is not the full story. Having applied for many occasional extensions and variations for Sunday opening, I can reveal that none of them was for before 10am at the earliest.

The opening time would be no earlier than alcohol would be available at a significant number of supermarkets at greatly discounted prices throughout Edinburgh.

In the main, applications were made to accommodate demand from customers meeting before matches at Easter Road and Tynecastle. To my knowledge none of the matches other than Old Firm games has never been moved to early kick-offs to accommodate Sky Sports or ESPN. When this is done it prevents pubs getting much-needed revenue when moved to a Sunday early kick-off. I believe other applications were made to provide brunch or similar facilities a little earlier on Sundays.

Pubs pay an extortionate amount to Sky for it to effectively deprive them of income by moving matches from traditional Saturday 3pm kick-offs.

Responsible licensees should surely be allowed to provide their facilities to the match-goers in a controlled environment and with toilet facilities rather than driving fans to supermarkets for off-sales drinks before kick-off.

Given that the majority of other boards around Scotland have allowed a level playing field for pubs against supermarkets, surely Edinburgh as our capital city should trust its licensees to meet those demands and operate responsibly on Sunday mornings as they do at all other times.

RG Arnott, director, Caledonian Heritable Ltd, Edinburgh

Feeling let down by bus operator

HOW do you travel to work? Car? Cycle? Walk perhaps? I would be better doing the latter than relying on the service 35 provided by Lothian Buses from the airport every afternoon! This has been an ongoing prpoblem for the last two-and-a-half months. I have been working out by the airport for three months and the only bus that gets me to and (occasionally) from my work is the number 35.

Morning buses are fine, but how would you feel if for the last two weeks you had to wait 40 minutes on a bus, to be told when you contact the company that they are delayed, or they are being turned at the RBS at Gogarburn because of how late they are?

I have e-mailed Lothian Buses and get the same response every time, I was even told to get on the airport bus as they were more reliable. For such a big company which relies on everyday people to catch their service, it really isn't top of my list in customer services.

T Whyte, Edinburgh

Pay doesn't match responsibilities

I READ your story "Anger over plan to cut number of nursery teachers" (News, 1 May).

I do think that nursery nurses provide a quality service due to their experience and training but feel we would be used as a money saving option to teaching staff.

Although I am highly experienced I would never take up the offer of this career structure due to the fact I would not be paid enough for the responsibility and also would feel I am poaching the post from teaching staff who I respect and currently work with in a team on a daily basis.

Name and address supplied

Easy way to get yourself a licence

I READ with interest your article about staff at the National Galleries who were banned from watching television after the organisation forgot to renew its TV licence. (News, 5 May).

I would like to take this opportunity to remind your readers that by going online they can pay their licence fee and update their details quickly and easily, whether for a residential or business property. An increasing number of people are choosing to pay via our website using a credit or debit card – 1.8 million licences were sold this way in 2008-9, an increase of 17 per cent on the previous year.

To purchase or renew a TV Licence, or simply to update your details, visit www.tv licensing.co.uk/info.

Fergus Reid, TV Licensing, West George Street, Glasgow