ONE key part of the UK Government’s proposed trade deal with Australia is meat imports. British farmers dislike the deal. They are convinced that we must keep our present food standards to protect both the British public and animal welfare. Unfortunately many Australian meat producers use hormones to boost the size of their animals.
The Australian Science website “New Medical Life Sciences” revealed that hormones banned decades earlier in Europe, after being linked to health risks including breast cancer, kidney disease and birth defects, are still being used in Australia to fatten beef. This was revealed by an Australian federal farm chemical survey.
Only 10% of Australian meat producers provide hormone free beef and are accredited to supply meat to the EU. One of the largest supermarkets in Australia decided to no longer to sell such Australian hormone meat.
READ MORE: Tories urged to publish details of promised protections from Australia deal
On the Coles supermarket website they state proudly: “At Coles, our farmers believe that good quality beef doesn’t need added hormones and that’s why all our Cole’s Brand fresh beef is 100% Aussie with no added hormones”.
If even Australian retailers and consumers have serious doubts about Australian meat, why is the Government concluding a trade deal which gives Britain so few benefits and threatens our food standards? Our wellbeing and health is at stake with this reckless trade deal.
Andrew Milroy
Trowbridge
AN excellent article from Lesley Riddoch on Thursday (Who has the will to tackle Highland housing crisis?, June 17). It is not just the Highlands that face these issues, Argyll and Bute has the same problems and I am sure other areas of Scotland as well. To my mind there are four inter related issues.
- Land ownership. The land is owned by a limited number of landowners and as a consequence the price of the land is artificially inflated.
- The number of second homes.
- The number of holiday homes, which landlords know can between April and September earn them a lot of money. So we have families, couples that can rent a home for six months in a long term let between the months of October and March (inclusive) but then have to leave the home to stay in a caravan etc in the spring, summer months.
- Planning departments. It is my personal experience that there is no consistency in the application of planning law. I would add that this is my experience and therefore not a statement of fact, however I would be interested to see if other readers share my view on the matter.
READ MORE: Lesley Riddoch: Do SNP or Greens have will to tackle Highland housing crisis?
The land ownership issue, the housing crisis in a country that has plenty of land suitable for development is something that the Scottish Government should have sorted out years ago. The Government should as a matter of urgency set up a task force to at least try and resolve some of the issues highlighted in this article and by fellow readers in the comments section.
Frederick Hall
via thenational.scot
“A GREAT deal for Scotland and a great deal for Scottish whisky” – this was the statement by Mr Johnson in reply to a question at Wednesday’s PMQs from Ian Blackford. A total of 40% of the Scotch whisky industry is owned by Diageo, a London-based company. And 20% is owned by Pernod Ricard of France and Brown-Forman, based in Kentucky, owns distilleries in Scotland. If 20% of Scotch whisky is made by companies owned in Scotland. So, how much of this “great deal” will benefit Scottish firms?
James Waugh Currie
Edinburgh
HOW can Alan Black reckon those who are critical of gender issues, yet who have no opportunity to proffer their argument anywhere in the media, are “dark forces”? (Letters, June 15) There is a discussion to be had, but aren’t the Alan Blacks of this world not unprepared to engage in it? Rather wouldn’t they simply arrogantly categorise those who disagree with him and his ilk as “bigots”, who hold views that are wrong? Isn’t this disgraceful undemocratic attitude just the same well-worn ploy used by those who refuse alternative opinion, like those who unilaterally deem critics of Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians as somehow anti-Semite and deserving of universal condemnation?
READ MORE: Denying that biological sex exists devalues my lived experience as a woman
Sometimes those who are older, with more life experience, can see a bigger picture that should be allowed to be discussed.
I would have thought those like Alan Black would welcome such examination of modern social issues.
Or is he accepting what he’s been told is right rather than questioning and seeking what really is right for those whose crisis is important to them, and society as a whole? If we really care about our society, should we be discussing these issues openly and with honesty, irrespective of the opinions held?
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh
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