Pensions concern

I share Irvin Campbell's anguish (Letters, 14 April) over the prospect of no increase in teachers' pensions this year or, seemingly, for the foreseeable future. However, the full reason for the freeze this year is explained on the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) website: "Pensions are index-linked with annual changes in the Retail Price Index each September. This determines if a pension is to be increased from the following April and if so by how much.

There there is still cause for concern if whatever government is elected on 6 May decides to change legislation so public sector pensions can be frozen for even longer. There is a question of accountability here, too. The SPPA is an executive agency of the Scottish Government. Teachers' salaries, from which pension contributions are deducted, are paid by local authorities through the education budget over which Holyrood has a lot of control. But pension increases are determined by the Treasury in London. Now there's an election issue if ever there was one.

BOB TAYLOR

Shiel Court

Glenrothes, Fife