I'VE no doubt that the concerns expressed by property manager Malcolm Pickard about the licensing system for Airbnb-style holiday lets are justified ("Warning short-term rental sector move a 'tipping point' for many landlords", The Herald, February 25). But why is this portrayed in such a negative fashion? The changes he mentions are surely a force for good.

So there will be an "exodus" from the sector, as landlords of short-term lets switch to long-term residential accommodation, and this is "likely to have a plateauing effect" on rents. But isn't an increase in the availability of long-term lettings exactly what cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow need? And how can any "plateauing" of rents be anything other than good news for hard-pressed tenants?

Mr Pickard expresses concern about "tighter control around things such as gas and electrical safety certificates ... water safety certificates ... furniture and appliance checks". But anything that improves the safety of tenants is surely to be welcomed.

A reduction of Airbnb-style properties will also be good for the owners of traditional hotels and B&Bs, who up to now have faced increasing competition from short-term lets. The same benefit will be felt by ordinary people who might rent out a room in their home or let out their entire house while on holiday, as such lettings are not subject to the legislation.

Best of all, the new system could lead to a slowing down of the so-called "hollowing out" of long-established communities, with its harmful effects on local shops and services. In parts of Edinburgh, for example, there are many tenements where most of the flats are now Airbnb, with the few remaining residents faced with a constant coming and going of tourists, not all of whom show consideration towards their temporary neighbours.

In fact, just about the only people who won't see an immediate benefit from the licensing system will be the owners of short-term properties and their agents. And even these individuals won't suffer a total loss. As Mr Pickard himself points out, many of them will switch to long-term lettings, which will provide them with a steady income for the foreseeable future. And all of them will benefit from the long-term increase in property values, which is presumably one of the main reasons they invested in Airbnb in the first place.

With all this in mind, it's hard to see why you used the word "warning" in your headline over this story. I would suggest "promise" would be a better description.

Mike Lewis, Edinburgh.

BRING BACK ANTENATAL CLASSES

I WOULD like to bring to the attention of the general public the fact that NHS Scotland has made the decision to cancel all antenatal classes for this generation of expectant mothers.

Young and first-time expectant mothers are particularly affected by this decision. Whilst a few midwife appointments, often online, are allocated to each woman, these do not act as a substitute for the lack of classes. How can blood pressure and oedema be measured if not seen face to face?

The NHS’s own website states that “classes give a chance to ask questions and prepare for labour, birth and afterwards". It is unfortunate that the opportunity to do so has been removed. These were also a means of encouraging fathers to fully participate in the birth process and in later child development.

Interestingly, National Childbirth Trust’s excellent classes are still operating for those fortunate enough to be able to pay more than £200 per course. Is it fair that those with financial means should be given the additional practical and emotional support not given to others?

When does the NHS intend to resume these maternity services? When will there be an apology and further guidance issued to those new parents who have missed these opportunities?

If we wish to raise a generation of physically and emotionally healthy children surely these issues need to be addressed not only for individuals but for society as a whole.

Sandra Aitken, Glasgow.

PARKING LEVY IS NOT TRULY GREEN

THE workplace parking levy (WPL) must be seen for what it is, a revenue generator for Scottish local authorities in addition to that already generated through the council tax or revenue handed to local authorities from central government ("Workplace parking levy just a ‘poll tax on wheels’", The Herald, February 28).

The WPL was never part of a skilfully crafted environmental policy. Instead it was a trade-off between the Scottish Greens and SNP administration, with the latter requiring the votes of the former to have tits budget approved in parliament.

Considering the WPL as an environmental policy is simply a myth. It contains exempted premises, mainly in the healthcare sector. Our hospitals have the busiest, potentially most polluted car parks in the country and the suggestion that healthcare staff don’t drive polluting vehicles, is simply farcical. A truly “green” policy would not contain exemptions of any kind.

Alan Knox, Carfin.

THE GREAT AND THE GOOD AND THE BAD

MARTHA Vaughan ("Royal profile: Portraits of Queen mark jubilee year", The Herald, February 26) incorrectly stated that the first official photographic sitting of the Queen after her accession to the throne in February 1952 was 20 days after she was crowned. It was not until June 2, 1953 that the Queen was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

Rab McNeil ("I’m a nowhere man in nowhere land making nowhere plans", Herald Magazine, February 26) refers to "Sir" Harold Macmillan. The former British Prime Minister never received a knighthood, but was ennobled as the 1st Earl of Stockton in 1984.

John Fyfe Anderson, Bishopton.

CAPITAL INTEREST

I NOTE David Miller’s call to reduce the use of acronyms (Letters, February 27), and I agree that there do seem to be more of them about nowadays.

However, abbreviations were an essential part of my daily life in NHS general practice for many years, viz: CVS (cardiovascular system), RS (respiratory system), CNS (central nervous system), CAT scan, and many more.

It was always pleasing to record NAD ( no abnormality detected), whereas SOB (shortness of breath), was not part of my repertoire for fear of possible misinterpretation and litigation.

Wisely, I subdued my natural honesty and excluded GOK (God Only Knows).

R Russell Smith, Largs.