Letters: Trip to cinema bordering on an epic journey for some

The nearest multiplex now for Borderers is in another country. That’s not even the thing that annoys me most.

Edinburgh City Council has anointed itself protector of the interests of Vue (who unchallenged own the cinemas in Omni and Ocean Terminal). It is ridiculous that a private company should have itself shielded from competition, able to increase prices on a whim.

Fort Kinnaird and Newcraighall should take their council tax revenue to East Lothian and build that cinema for the east rather than forcing everyone to the city centre.

Ross William Quinn, Fowler’s Court, Prestonpans

Easy to go off the rails at junction

In mid-January I was cycling east on Princes Street across South St Andrew Street junction, which is at present poorly lit, and the roads were wet from the rain during the day.

As I cycled over the rails at a safe angle the front wheel of my bike slipped out from below me on the wet rail and I was thrown on to the road, landing on the right side of my body.

I was winded and as I lay on the road the driver from the Lothian bus which was following behind me stopped and he offered me assistance. I lay in the road and recovered for a few minutes and with his help I was able to re-mount my cycle and continue home. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the driver, Mr Graham, for his kindness.

However it would appear that these transverse rails and the road finish on this junction, if wet or snow covered, are a potential hazard – not only just for cyclists but for pedestrians, especially for those who are elderly or disabled.

Perhaps more of these plastic warning signs for cyclists dotted along Princes Street [altered to suit of course] are required in this area to inform and protect others using the junction!

Dick Murray, Edinburgh

The supermarkets must be punished

supermarket chains have been selling us meat products which contained types of meat other than that described on the product labels.

Regardless of whether they knew or not, they were the ones who did the actual selling. This was mis-selling.

Banks who mis-sold loan insurance and interest swaps have rightly been taken to the cleaners by customers and regulatory bodies – should not the same be happening to the supermarkets? When is one going to be charged for this offence?

David Fiddimore, Calton Road, Edinburgh

No tartan North Korea for me

I SEE that, if there is a yes vote in the coming referendum, the SNP Government proposes to scrap all the organisations that look after our rights as consumers and centralise them in one body.

This follows the centralisation of the police service, fire service and the Forth bridges authority. It would appear that there will be very little democratic accountability in an independent Scotland.

I do not want to live in the tartan equivalent of North Korea and will be voting to keep Scotland as part of the UK.

Frank Russell, Broomhouse Crescent, Edinburgh

Help at hand for small businesses

From April, small businesses in Edinburgh will have to report pay as you earn (PAYE) information to HMRC in real time.

Employers (or their accountant) will have to:

n send details to HMRC every time they pay an employee, at the time they pay them

n use payroll software to send this information electronically as part of their routine payroll process

Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) polling at the end of 2012 showed that one third of our small employers knew nothing or very little about these changes.

With less than a month to go until these changes come into force, we would urge firms to look up the HMRC website or visit http://www.payerti.org Alternatively contact Business Gateway on 0131 529 6644 for some help.

Gordon Henderson, Federation of Small Businesses