Justice Secretary Angela Constance said: “Thanks to the dedication and work of the police, recorded crime rates overall are at record low levels.”

Contrast that statement with what Scotland’s Chief Statistician produced on 28 June; 2022 (the latest accessible data): “Crimes recorded by the police in Scotland decreased by four per cent, from 299,452 to 286,464. This fall was driven by an 81 per cent reduction in crimes recorded under Coronavirus-related legislation (from 20,976 to 3,913). All other crimes collectively increased by one per cent. The recording of crime is at the lowest level seen since 1974.”

“Recorded crime” is a nebulous term since there is considerable discretion on the part of the police and public of crime reporting then crime recording respectively. Also, there is not necessarily a relationship between lower reported crimes and a lower number of crimes committed. Also note that these figures are based on us just leaving a period which included lockdown.

Police Scotland officers out on the beat in Grangemouth

A free Press, free access to reliable data, and a sceptical and cynical attitude to the pronouncements of politicians is the only antidote to the “facts” and “visions” they choose to share with us plebs.

Gavin Findlay, Boghead, South Lanarkshire

Interest rates

We must find an alternative to raising interest rates to stop inflation.

Until recently it was possible to borrow at least £200,000 to buy an ordinary house or flat with an interest rate of below two per cent fixed for either two or five years. Repayments on the interest would be no more than £4,000 per year. At interest rates of five per cent that payment will be £10,000 per year. Many will be paying multiples of these figures.

The very low interest rates allowed people to bid enormous sums for ordinary dwellings because demand exceeded supply so house prices soared. As rates rise repayments become impossible for many.

Inflation occurs when demand exceeds supply. Raising interest rates will stop the flow of money by forcing people into long-term debt. The banks will make more money while the people lose.

To rectify inflation without interest rate rises means using other means to balance demand and supply.

Corporate (council) housing as in Europe should be allowed again. Power charges can be capped, not fudged. The supply of goods to and from Europe can be returned to the previous tariff-free state. Essential food can be subsidised and government investment channelled to primary producers. Such measures will help everyone, the poor, new house owners, the old and the general population.

Above all what is need is wise, knowledgeable, government. Some of these and similar solutions will be difficult. It is the difficult problems which must be solved. We must stop employing window dressers and find some competent decision-makers.

Ken Carew, Dumfries

Bad behaviour

So, yet more bad news concerning education in Scotland. Not only have standards been slipping (where the SNP has bothered to measure them), but it seems that bad behaviour has been going unreported, for a variety of reasons. (Scotsman, 15 June). All in all, not a pretty picture.

William Ballantine, Bo’ness, West Lothian

No grown-ups

The political scene in the UK has become a laughing matter in the last few weeks to the utter disappointment of a public left in a state of confusion, perplexity and despair.

The world is watching in amazement at what is going on in the country where once the sun never set and which was universally admired. Everyone everywhere looked up to the UK and its leaders. Now we are the mockery of the world.

Our political leaders have to behave like grown-up, responsible people.

Dr Tarlochan Bedi, Milngavie, East Dunbartonshire

Flower power

So SNP MSPs sent Nicola Sturgeon a bunch of “sorry you've been arrested” flowers (Scotsman, 14 June). Fingers crossed these weren’t claimed on expenses and paid for by the taxpayer.

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Scottish Borders

Energy strategy

Mark Stewart’s article on how we finance our energy transition (Scotsman, 14 June) was very interesting.

To some extent he is correct to say: “The availability of risk capital to make manifest changes is still incredibly difficult to secure.” He is not correct if government provided the infrastructure investment for energy in Great Britain.

Prior to the privatisation of electricity supply and distribution, government investment was available to ensure security of supply and the lowest price of electricity in our history. Mr Stewart makes clear the urgency needed to find the means to finance our energy transition but fails to point out that this matter could be resolved if the government recognised this urgency and established a national energy authority to decide what is needed, when it is needed and where generating plants and transmission lines are located.

Without this action being taken, and without recognising that the electricity grid cannot be decarbonised without substantially increasing our nuclear capacity, there is no chance that the UK Government’s target of achieving net zero by 2050 will be reached.

C Scott, Edinburgh

Throwaway society

MSP Lorna Slater's Circular Economy Bill may have the intention of enforcing households to be more careful in recycling waste (Scotsman, 15 June) but it seems to be too little, too late.

Both the UK and the regional governments have been dilatory in dealing with products which pollute the environment, particularly in relation to plastic. Where there are recycling alternatives, polluting products should be banned, but governments have given in to big business and refrained from imposing tough curbs.

Ms Slater may also be giving councils additional powers to deal with fly-tipping and littering from cars, but who will enforce these offences? At present we have under-funded councils who are more intent on building cycle tracks than filling potholes and an invisible police force. It seems that the new legislation will be largely a waste of time without UK-wide co-ordinated action and more education about doing the right thing in a throwaway society.

Bob MacDougall, Kippen, Stirling

Burning issue

The Scottish building industry is going to have fun from next year. Somehow or other, multi-storey buildings will have to install heat pumps for every flat. This, of course, will be no problem for the Greens, who have the exact same thin air between their ears. They actually suggest that we cuddle a sheep to stay warm, believe it or not!

However, there are other ways of keeping warm. I am sure that there are hundreds of thousands of SNP White Papers hidden in cupboards throughout Scotland, unread and unwanted, just waiting to be used in our old fireplaces.

Equally, there will be lots of old SNP and Green Party leaflets that were thrust through letter-boxes throughout Scotland. That and the piles of nonsensical legislation they keep trying to impose on us. All good burning material for a bonfire of the fantasies.

With any luck, by 2024, these two parties of non-entities will be out of a job and a party that understands the real world will have taken their place.

Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh

Moaning Minnies

Electric vehicles and air source heat (ASH) pumps are the future if only because they don’t run on finite and polluting fossil fuels.

Being still “work in progress” (and our granddad was fond of reminding us that “bairns and fools shouldna’ see unfinished wurk”) their teething problems may be annoying, but around the world thousands of boffins are researching solutions; solid state batteries and nuclear fusion being front runners.

Our ASH pumps were commissioned in November 2014 and we have not had a cold home or lacked hot water ever since, even when it was -10C outside. The standby oil central heating and wood burning stove have lain idle all that time.

I’m minded that the sour, negative, Moaning Minnies who complain about progress are descendants of those Stone Age fearties who refused to move out of their caves into the trendy new stone-built homes becoming available.

Tim Flinn, Garvald, East Lothian

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Readers' letters: Don't take recorded crime statistics at face value

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