REGARDING the minimum pricing of alcohol: if it becomes more expensive, people will deprive their families, and steal and mug people to get the money to pay the inflated price (Plans for alcohol minimum pricing in Scotland move ahead after court rejects challenge, The National, November 15).

That is common logic. That’s dependency which this policy does nothing to alleviate. Had the money gone to the exchequer, who could fund you to do good work, I would understand and support it. It doesn’t. It goes into the bottom line of retailers.

If price was such a key factor in alcohol consumption, why do countries with lower alcohol prices have lower problems with alcohol than Scots appear to?

This policy is a political palliative. It won’t achieve the desired result, while penalising ordinary folks drinking responsibly, but still having to mitigate the increased cost.

Yes, some Scots have a problem with alcohol, but shouldn’t we be recognising why and dealing with those? This is our politicians ticking a box, a photocall so they can say they’ve done something.

They say it’s one part of a strategy? It’s taken five years to get here. What other parts of this so-called strategy have they implemented meanwhile? Nothing. Zilch. Nada.

If people have followed this debate they will know it was driven by licensees, through the SLTA (Scottish Licensed Trade Association), lobbying Parliament about their perceived unfair competition from supermarkets who have made alcohol consumption at home more attractive than being ripped off in pubs.

With the smoking ban, who needs pubs? Sit at home, a few mates, convivial conversation, watch a movie, sport or gaming, at a cost you can afford. And smoke if acceptable.

This is about the survival of pubs who can’t or refuse to compete, end of. Because we refuse to recognise the root causes, we’re still going to have the same issues. The only difference is who had to go without, or which old biddy is hospitalised in the process.

I suppose those with a vested interest in crime may benefit.

Will there be a new phenomenon of increased booze runs to Carlisle, where, to make it worthwhile, alcohol will be bought in greater bulk, and consumed quicker than usual, and the process repeated?

It is an appalling policy, not properly thought through. Immature government always ticks boxes. Isn’t this particular box Pandora’s box?
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh

THOSE who take a keen interest in the affairs of the Holyrood and Westminster parliaments will have recognised the anomaly which characterises the present conduct of Scotland’s Government.

Irrespective of the details agreed in 1997 and any subsequent accords, the prevailing and popular judgment in England is that Holyrood is accountable for everything occurring north of the Tweed.

This is, of course, quite wrong but it is the impression cultivated by the Unionist opposition and disseminated by its media friends in Scotland, the reality being that the Scottish Government is held to account on many matters which are the direct result of actions by Westminster, indicating the situation beloved of Unionists where our Government has accountability without responsibility, especially on financial issues where we in fact have very limited responsibility.

The latest defence by Theresa May for levying VAT on Police Scotland, an unjustifiable imposition, is an example. Only by independence will we be able to eliminate this and other unacceptable situations.
John Hamilton
Bearsden

REGARDING Dennis White’s letter (The National, November 13), although Crown Estate Scotland land and property is owned by the Crown, management is devolved to Scottish Ministers who in turn have tasked us with ensuring it is profitable and sustainable. We do this in a way that benefits Scotland and its communities.

We return all revenue profits to the Scottish Government, not the Queen. Our volunteering opportunities are popular and help those interested in learning about estate management either for leisure or for skills development. And we never pay the minimum wage – we pay all employees at least the real living wage.
Ronnie Quinn, chief executive 
Crown Estate Scotland