Letters - April 8, 2016

Politicians make promises about the NHS because it is one of the few subjects the EU does not directly or indirectly control. Politicians do not explain the reasons for the NHS deficit of £30 billion by 2020.

Which will be more important to your readers when they consider how to vote in the EU referendum on 23 June; paying £20 billion a year plus billions more in fines and a surcharge (£1.7 billion) to the EU or supporting local NHS services?

We pay the EU enough to build a new hospital every week and 60 times more than we spend on the NHS Cancer Drug fund – Labour and Conservative governments’ NHS Private Finance Initiatives have helped cause the deficit. We have been mortgaging the future of our NHS over the next 20 to 30 years and making private companies rich to afford EU membership.

This is a price of EU membership voters should consider when they vote on June 23. I would rather save our NHS than the EU from their own stupidity and waste.

This sale of our NHS will only get worse under the TTIP trade treaty between the EU and the USA, under which the British government will be forced to allow private American companies to cherry-pick the NHS, whilst the amount we pay the EU remorselessly increases if we vote to stay members.

Eric Pollitt

Anchorsholme

ENERGY

Scientists have fears on fracking

Mr Linderman writes of his concerns about The Gazette’s approach to shale (Your Say, Gazette, April 4), and says “Perhaps have an article from a geologist who can put people’s minds at rest. “

Now that made me chuckle, because much of the article was based on work by geoscientists !

I recognise information taken directly from papers published by Dr CJ de Pater and Dr Baisch, by Dr Green, Prof Styles and Dr Baptie, and by Dr Westaway, to name but a few, and they represent a range of universities, technical companies involved with earth sciences, and the British Geological Survey.

I would be interested too, to know how Mr Linderman squares the statement by Ken Cronin, CEO of United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas, that: “Operators will be required to confirm that wells are not be drilled into, or close to existing faults...” given that at Preston New Road the well would be much closer to a major fault than is advised, and the applications clearly show the wells will be drilled through faults at both sites.

I have written to several professors and geoscientists, and find none are happy for shale gas exploration to go ahead as planned – even those who are in principle ‘pro shale’, have serious concerns about different aspects of the applications for the Fylde.

T Froud

Lytham

CHARITY

Thanks to all who raised RNLI cash

On behalf of Blackpool Lifeboat we would like to say a big thank you to management, staff and customers of ASDA Cherry Tree Road, Marton for all their help raising £165.77 at a recent collection in the store.

Christine Parry

Secretary

RNLI

MESSAGE

Thanks to the angel who found phone

My evening at The Opera House watching James Martin perform and demonstrate his cooking abilities was very enjoyable, but could have been spoilt for me because somehow I dropped my iPhone (a present from my family).

I did not notice it was missing until the next day, but by then it had been found, handed in and there was a message on my answer machine informing me.

I want to say a big thank you to the person who found it, and also to Winter Gardens staff.

Although I kept saying to myself, “if you’ve lost it then it is not the end of the world”, it was such a lovely feeling to hear that voice on the phone informing me that it had been found. So thank you, thank you all so much.

Mavis Ashton

Eddleston Close

Staining

TRANSPORT

Resort can help our neighbour airports

What great news about the airport – could have big jets back, we hope. I have been reading about John Lennon Airport at Liverpool, which cannot cope, but we are only a few miles away.

Also Manchester is spending millions – what about Blackpool Airport?

Why don’t people talk to each other?

Richard Armstrong

Cherry Tree Road

Marton