Letters: Supermarkets can help beef up trust with food advice

What we need is an innovative food distribution authority to tackle the food information on all grocery items including meat products.

It is recognised that there are many genuine food producers, but somehow the dark side of the food trade is beginning to show itself.

So it is important to have some sort of neutral food advisory agency with legal powers to be put in place, perhaps something similar to Customs and Excise.

Supermarkets account for the majority of the grocery market and are making huge profits from the consumer.

Between them the big supermarket chains would be able to offer an expert food guidance and advisory service for their customers which could help bring back the trust of the shoppers.

Chas Dennis, Niddrie Marischal Road, Edinburgh

Armageddon still hovering over us

Having lived in Corstorphine for a number of years, the feature on the nuclear bunker located beneath Corstorphine Hill made fascinating reading (News, February 27).

Not only that but I wonder how many other disused and essentially unknown buildings Edinburgh has that have the potential to become so much more than mere obsolete relics from the past.

The plans to develop the Corstorphine bunker into a tourist attraction might prove to be a success. But in an increasingly troubled world where unstable countries have acquired nuclear weapons we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss the legacy of the Cold War since the threat of nuclear Armageddon still hovers menacingly over mankind.

Angus McGregor, Albion Road, Edinburgh

Don’t let British Gas off with it

SO British Gas has reported a profit increase for the full year up 11 per cent to £606 million (News, February 27)

The company raised charges last month.

Also, further rises have been predicted. No doubt customers have used their heating more because of the cold winter weather.

It is appalling how they are being treated by British Gas.

The company should be decreasing customers’ bills instead of raising them, which is grossly unfair as the firm has made huge profits.

British Gas should not be allowed to get away with this.

The company ought to be thoroughly ashamed of itself.

June Fleming, Hercus Loan, Musselburgh, East Lothian

Treasury to blame for tax loopholes

The idea currently being promoted of “naming and shaming” those who avoid tax is clearly absurd.

Tax avoidance, (not to be confused with tax evasion), is perfectly legal and every self- respecting accountant has a duty to their clients to ensure they pay the minimum amount of tax possible, within the framework of the law.

Those who should be “in the dock” for tax avoidance, and who should be thoroughly ashamed to be there, are those who failed to close all the known tax loopholes, namely, messrs Brown, Darling, Osborne and their predecessors, all of whom avoided radical tax change and meddled with tax regulation, allowing perfectly legal tax “fiddling” to continue unchecked.

Joseph G Miller, Gardeners Street, Dunfermline

Darling’s role in financial chaos

In his usual scaremongering mode as leader of the No campaign, Alistair Darling is quoted as being troubled by the collapse of RBS (Economy Drive, Evening News February 28).

Well he should be, as Alistair Darling as the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer was responsible for giving final approval for the disastrous takeover of AMRO bank by RBS and he ignored the fact that the Royal Bank did no due diligence on a £49 billion deal which was the world’s biggest ever bank take- over.

Labour then compounded this by appointing Fred Goodwin as an economic adviser and then nominated him for a knighthood.

Calum Stewart, Montague Street, Edinburgh