Single police force - 'Some form of merger makes complete sense'

There is a lot to be said for the idea of breaking up Scotland's police forces and potentially replacing them with a single, nationwide operation.

Getting the most out of every taxpayer pound is the name of the game and some form of merger of services makes complete sense.

If it is managed properly, such a shake-up would produce significant savings over time simply by cutting backroom staff and senior officers, and not by axing bobbies on the beat.

The same logic applies as much to the country's eight existing fire brigades as it does to the eight police forces.

The only question is how far to cut, and a nationwide operation seems just about manageable.

It would have to include a series of regional departments - fewer than the current eight - with the freedom to act pretty much autonomously on purely local issues, and with an officer in charge just below the rank of Chief Constable.

The headquarters of both these nationwide services would, of course, have to be alongside the seat of power in the capital city.

The current cash crisis demands radical thinking from those in charge of our emergency services and getting rid of unnecessary duplication has to be the way forward, but proper controls must be in place first to protect local accountability.

Banks hold the key

the days when most of us could watch the Capital's ever-rising house prices with growing satisfaction, even smugness, are long gone, and that is no bad thing.

As long as property prices continue to hold stable generally in the city, as they show every sign of doing, then a slight fall in one area at least has to be positive.

That is particularly true for first-time buyers who will be encouraged, if only slightly, by seeing the average one-bedroom flat in Gorgie slip below 100,000 for the first time in six years.

The fact they would still need a deposit of almost 40,000 to secure a mortgage on one of them from most lenders means a first foot on the property ladder remains a distant dream for too many people.

Just such a pragmatic approach from sellers will surely help breathe new life into the Edinburgh property market, but it is still the banks that hold the keys for huge numbers of potential buyers and they are still clutching them too close to their chests.