Wet idea

We are in a recession, roads are full of potholes, many people have lost their jobs, crime is on the increase and education and the NHS are falling apart.

As the doom and gloom continue, First Minister Alex Salmond plans to stop off at the Maldives on his way to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi (your report, 20 January) in the hope that he can help the Maldives' government cope with climate change. Even King Canute could not control the forces of nature, so is this journey, paid for by the taxpayer, really necessary?

JOHN McDONALD

Rosebery Court

Kirkcaldy, Fife