MAGGIE Chetty (Letters, January 30) lists security of pensions as an issue
which needs to be addressed before a further independence referendum. I
concur. Westminster, representing rUK, will not be liable. The National
Insurance Fund has a working balance of little more than 1/6th (16.7 per
cent) of projected annual benefit expenditure. Aneurin Bevan, post-war
Labour minister, said that the great secret about the National Insurance
Fund is that there is no fund. This comment is not quite correct; there is
a working balance. Scotland would be entitled to a proportionate share of
the working balance, but not to a penny more. Perhaps Ms Chetty will
enlighten us about her proposals for payment of and security of pensions
during the third and subsequent months after an independent Scotland
receives its proportionate share of the National Insurance Fund.
Ms Chetty makes no mention of security of energy supply in an independent
Scotland. An independent Scotland will require to abandon connection to the
National Grid, being unable to import electricity generated by nuclear
means. Furthermore, the very generous subsidies paid by the people of rUK
for renewable energy projects in Scotland will cease.
William Durward,
20 South Erskine Park, Bearsden.
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