But what about the drunks? They are allowed to carry out their dirty habit in all these places, in fact anywhere they like.

I have yet to read in the papers or see on TV that the moron who kills someone with his or her car, or the thug who kicks someone’s head in, or uses the street as a public toilet, did all these things because they were smoking. I know who I would prefer to sit beside on a nine-hour flight and it’s not the drinker. — Give Us A Break.

Who would benefit from this? I think consultants, the insurance companies, and perhaps those workers who have quite a large salary at the end of the week would.

What would happen to the low- paid worker who could not afford this private cover?

Would workers still have to pay NHS contributions or would this be another way for government and large companies to save money?

Would we end up like America, where, I have heard, people who do not have this cover do not receive any medical treatment at all?

Would asylum seekers or refugees have to participate in the scheme or would they receive free medical care?

Why is a consultant who works for the NHS allowed to do private work? Surely this should be against the law. If a consultant wishes to go private then he should not be drawing money from the NHS or be allowed to use NHS facilities or equipment.

After all, maybe that’s why our waiting lists are so long. — Disgruntled NHS Taxpayer.

They used to be commonplace, but I have not seen an old-style X-shaped TV aerial in years.

Are the residents still watching Hancock, Steptoe, Cathy Come Home, Mr and Mrs, etc, etc in black and white?

My children were bemused and their grandfather then told them that was not the first style of TV aerial to be seen in the city.

The days of Muffin the Mule, Brains Trust and the Potters Wheel were picked up on an H-style aerial. — Old Square Eyes.

Also at the front was a saxophone player, dressed like Wurzel Gummidge, tooting aimlessly. It is no use apprehending, arresting and charging people for breach of the peace (i.e. inappropriate conduct) when begging for money, or back-door sponsorship like the Big Issue, is permitted and tolerated.

Our social security system is well-funded. It has provision to contain every self-pitying ragamuffin under the sun within its endless and ever-expanding wings.

Also, their begging bowls might be defensible if they were raking in hundreds of pounds, but their ploy grosses only a few pence and reflects our city as a harbinger of doom, damaging its image. All beggars should be removed from our streets.— J. I. Matthew.

It is true that nowadays everyone should know smoking while pregnant can be detrimental to the wellbeing of the baby in the womb and to its future development.

Realistically, however, expectant mothers will not be prosecuted because in this country the unborn baby has no status in law.

That is why abortion is legal up to 24 weeks and why, unfortunately, abortion has become so widespread in our land.

It would not make sense, therefore, for the police to prosecute women for damaging their unborn child’s health if it is legal for women to end life by abortion. — M. B. Kobylarska, Law Street, Dundee.

Not so. Increases in charges for services are modest in relation to price increases generally and what other councils charge.

If there were never any inflationary increases R. G. would no doubt complain the council tax had increased too much. Services have to be paid for.

Labour and their Lib-Dem allies on Dundee council are making a half decent attempt to balance the budget and run decent services. — Menzieshill OAP.

At my request they have now obtained a quotation for getting the car park surfaced.

I have asked the director of housing to see if money can be found to get the job done soon.

I understand the residents have been waiting about 40 years for this, so it ought to be fairly high up the waiting list. — Councillor Nigel Don.

They performed different types of music, ranging from the 40s right up to the latest. The rest of the band were Kenny Day on bass, Mitch Mitchelson on drums and Mick McGuigan on rhythm guitar. — Hayley Smith.