OBVIOUSLY the pensions triple lock is only “intergenerationally unfair” when it is halted or watered down. But it should be equally obvious to Tom Bryson (Letters, August 10) that the triple lock is unsustainable and will come to an end. Pensions that grow as fast as earnings in good years, and faster than earnings in bad years, will inevitably require a larger and larger share of the economy. Normally the economy would react to such a mismatch by increasing prices, but state pensions are locked against inflation, as are the pensions of public sector workers, so high inflation makes the problem worse.
Then there is the additional problem of the number of pensioners increasing faster than the number of workers, which also requires that a larger share of economic output goes to pensioners. So the solution is that the number of pensioners must fall, not just to keep the ratio of pensioners to workers roughly constant, but to ensure that the number of workers increases relative to the number of pensioners so that we can afford the higher pension. The longer the triple lock persists, the faster the pension age must increase relative to life expectancy, so that the ever-higher pension is claimed for an ever-shorter average length of time.
As watering down the triple lock is a mathematical certainty, the question is when it inevitably must happen. It is in the interest of every worker who expects it to happen in their working lifetime, or even early in their pensionable lifetime, for it to happen as soon as possible, to minimise the share of their earnings that go to paying unsustainable pensions to a golden cohort before it gets taken away from them.
Alan Ritchie, Glasgow.
READ MORE: 'Definitely not welcome': Let's keep dogs out of restaurants
READ MORE: It's wrong to protect ancient battlefields from much-needed change
The serious problem with dogs
YOUR Letters Pages today (August 13) contain two different letters about dogs. The most obvious one, from David Edgar, and with which I completely agree, is about the unwelcome (to me and to others) presence of dogs in pubs, cafés and restaurants where food and drink are served, but the second is the letter from Alan R Melville, in his last paragraph. The growing incidence of ocular toxocariasis in children, caused by dog faeces, is something that should concern us all. It is the reason that dog owners and minders were required to collect their dogs' faeces in a bag, and dispose of that bag in a waste bin.
As with most things, there are many responsible dog owners out there, but there are many others - and there are so many dogs now, particularly since the pandemic, when people bought them for company - who let their dogs roam free and uncontrolled. Dog faeces just about disappeared from our pavements but this menace is certainly reappearing. Children will enjoy playing in long grass in parks or wherever, but they should not be subject to blindness because of careless dog owners.
Patricia Fort, Glasgow.
Pooches mean profits
I’M not sure why David Edgar is in such a state about dog-friendly restaurants or indeed, what line of work he is in. I’d suggest to him that any restaurant owner must decide on their target audience to develop their business.
Some have spotted an opportunity to gain a point of difference from others to attract dog owners. I’ve found that allowing pooches into restaurants actually creates a really nice, friendly atmosphere.
Sadly for Mr Edgar I doubt whether any of these establishments care about his opinion as he’s irrelevant to their business plan. Maybe he could just go to one of the dozens of alternatives, or is that too obvious a solution?
John Gilligan, Ayr.
• DAN Edgar's aptly descriptive word "slavering" highlights the hygiene and odours issues of restaurants accommodating pets. Other considerations arise. Perchance one's dog espies another across a crowded room. A quick bound, a brief encounter and en route mayhem. Hysterical shrieks, upended platters and hopefully a return to normal service...well not quite. Who is financially liable for the unforeseen fiasco? One or both animal owners? Mine host (albeit he/she has displayed "dog owners are welcome")?
These considerations should be clarified before patrons are given the obligatory "enjoy your meal ".
Allan C Steele, Giffnock.
BBC Scotland is a success story
BARRY Didcock's article ("I spent a night watching the ailing BBC Scotland channel, here's my verdict", Herald Magazine, August 10) does not mention that BBC Scotland remains the most-watched digital channel in Scotland.
While it is widely acknowledged that the trend for live linear TV viewing is in decline across the industry, it should be noted that the channel was created as a multi-platform offer. This strategy has been a success as iPlayer consumption of BBC Scotland content has more than doubled since the channel launch.
The channel also continues to play a significant role in Scotland’s creative economy. The BBC in Scotland works with around 60 independent production companies, across TV, radio and online and many of those businesses regularly produce programmes for BBC Scotland. This collaboration has resulted in the production of multiple award-winning programmes and series for the BBC Scotland audience.
Luke McCullough, Head of Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, BBC Scotland, Glasgow.
A pronounced success
CONGRATULATIONS to Hazel Irvine and Andrew Cotter on their commentaries on the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games. It was great to have commentators who spoke French correctly, who knew that the river which flows through Paris is the "Senn" not the "Sane" and that in the phrases the "Stade de Paris" and the "Tour de France" the words "France" and "Paris" should be pronounced as the French would (hint: the rest of the phrase is in French). They had good knowledge of all the famous places of interest, always pronouncing them correctly, Andrew even giving us a bit of simultaneous translation.
Would that all our BBC speakers would learn from their obvious preparation re the language.
Kathleen Gorrie, Helensburgh.
Flash trance
I HAD to laugh out loud at Brendan Keenan's letter (August 9). I've been saying (shouting) this for long and weary: have indicators gone out of fashion? Sitting waiting patiently at roundabouts for cars coming round with no indication of where they are going, to then have them turn off one after the other past my right-hand side is so frustrating.
Ian McDonald, Maryburgh.
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