Quarry firm saluted for lorry commitment Sir - We hear a lot about major companies not delivering on their corporate social responsibilities or living up to their commitments.

Isn’t it encouraging then to see that one of the major quarry operators in Ribblesdale has done exactly what it said it would do in reducing movement of stone by road in the short term, whilst investing in rail capability to enable a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transport system for the future?

Lafarge-Tarmac committed to reduce the road transport of stone from their Dry Rigg quarry by over 50 per cent in anticipation of the construction of a railhead at Helwith Bridge. Even though the railhead is taking longer than hoped to be constructed, they have stuck to that reduction promise and didn’t exceed their road tonnage ceiling in 2014, thus reducing the blight of HGVs running through Upper Ribblesdale and Settle.

We salute them for delivering on their promises and hope that their leadership example on this issue isn’t lost on other quarry operators in the area.

Pat Harding Chair F-O-U-R ( Friends of Upper Ribblesdale) Manor Farm Barn Langcliffe Reverse ‘trash’ trend Sir - I’d like to commend The Craven Herald and its letter writers last week for a wide range of thought-provoking and articulate opinions on the NHS, East Coast trains, litter, fracking, and tax evasion. Might I draw some connections?

The current rampaging ideology of big business and little government (regulation), aka privatisation and austerity measures, is literally trashing our services, canals and our countryside. A government with its eyes on the prize of shareholders’ profits have no time for a public service like British Waterways; have no time for reducing the use of plastic; and have put a For Sale sign up inviting fracking all over the country. This despite the fact that fracking poisons groundwater and is a 19th-century extractive industry flying in the face of carbon-reduction and a sustainable energy policy.

The same ideology translates into turning a blind eye to massive tax evasion by the one per cent and corporations while cutting another public service, HMRC, who are responsible for collecting tax. The goal is always the same: how to protect the wealthy and their ability to get wealthier through the movement of public money (yours) into private pockets (theirs).

And here we come to the cheering letters about the railways and the NHS. Bailed out by the taxpayer after its private owners failed, a revitalised East Coast is now being “sold” to another private owner. That’s public service for you. Very generous of us.

The NHS, which is systematically starved of funds by the government but still outranks every other health service for access and quality, is slowly being privatised through out-sourcing and sub-contracting. Again, what belongs, and has been built up and paid for by taxpayers and citizens, is one way or another handed over to private businesses.

This trashing of public services and the transference of national wealth into the deep pockets of the few, has been going on for close to 40 years now and must be reversed. It is time to vote in those who put people not corporate profits first; to oust those who evangelically pursue get-rich-quick schemes and policies, leaving 99 per cent of the UK to pick up the (toxic) pieces.

Bruce McLeod Otterburn Missing bit of history Sir - On a recent visit to Skipton I noticed as I drove along Otley Road down into Skipton that Eliscroft Barn has disappeared.

I well remember that barn having two Roman pillars at the entrance.

Surely that would have made it worth protecting.

I remember in the 1950s and 60s being taken on school trips to view the pillars, and also along with my father who explained the history of the pillars.

So who gave permission for an old historical part of Skipton to be removed?

Perhaps one of your readers could help with this inquiry.

Malcolm G Jarvis Albert Street Ilkeston ‘Not fair or equal’ Sir - I wonder how serious the governing body of Ermysted’s are when they say the changes to the 11-plus will make it more fair, equitable and reliable (Changes are agreed to school entry tests, February 19).

Did they ever think they were in the first place? Have they not heard that in order to pass the 11-plus in Skipton you need two to three years of expensive coaching, outside of primary school, running to many thousands of pounds? Has this ever been discussed at a governing body meeting?

The tests are not fair and equitable; and the intake from low-income families will remain shamefully low.

The Ermysted’s governors will never admit their tests are prejudiced against low-income families because if they did, it would question the whole basis of academic selection.

So better to trundle along pretending to themselves that the tests are working well.The better-off parents of Skipton and Ilkley think otherwise, and will continue to play the system.

Graeme Hitchen High Bank Bradley l Editor’s note: In our story the governors at Ermysted’s were reported as suggesting in their response to North Yorkshire County Council that any review of of entry tests should improve aspects of fairness, equality and reliability.

Closure idea ‘crazy’ Sir - When Jerry Croft was closed temporarily, the traffic down the High Street was a nightmare.

The thought of HGVs and coaches and all the extra cars having to go down the High Street and along Newmarket Street (because Jerry Croft has been pedestrianised) to access the car park is crazy.

My suggestion is that, bearing in mind there are several routes for pedestrians out of the car park other than Jerry Croft, is to close Jerry Croft for pedestrians and make it vehicles only, or at least have big signs warning pedestrians not to walk down the middle of the road, and have the walk way more clearly marked.

G Pringle Maldale House Airton The cost of caring Sir - Your shocking story “Cruel carers jailed for £500,000 fraud” (February 19) highlights human greed and the cost of being looked after.

Your report does not say whether any of the £500,000 was recovered in fines from the carers. We read that the two jailed women made £220,000 and £139,000 in overpayments. Those that got suspended sentences were overpaid by between £16,000 and £52,000. Shame on them. This old lady was simply rich pickings for them all. We read that a professional firm which took over reduced the monthly bill to £20,000. A bargain?

Madge Shalg (Miss) Long Ashes Threshfield Kindness commended Sir - On Sunday, as I was walking in Otley Street, I was caught in a gust of wind which made me fall.

Consequently, I broke my teeth, and bust my chin and lip, and lay prone in the road.

A young woman, with her young daughter, came to my rescue and drove me back home.

I don’t know her, or her name, but I am immensely grateful to her and wasn’t able to thank her properly so I would be grateful if you would publish this letter in the hope that she will see it. There are still some kind people in the world.

A Gorton (Miss) King Street Skipton Are they needed?

Sir - With reference to the Roughaw Close communal area (Lonely fears for tenants, February 12), I hope this will not become a case of well-intentioned councillors ignoring professional evidence in favour of personal preconceptions. While some elderly people are indeed isolated and might welcome stimulation from others, they are not a homogeneous group with similar needs, wishes and aspirations.

The results of Yorkshire Housing’s poll in Roughaw Close replicate my previous observations of the lack of use of the communal facilities at Glusburn’s Valley View sheltered dwelling complex. Other than when the kindly Derek for a time voluntarily cooked up a communal meal there, its facilities saw little use by the nearby residents. Yet a proportion of their rent went to pay for these facilities. For those residents on housing benefits, the public purse therefore paid for the unused facilities.

While the proposal may be well intentioned, I caution councillors against seeking possibly unnecessary communal facilities without first understanding the hard evidence of likely need and potential use. I do not think communal facilities alone will attract usage.

Backing up such facilities with interesting activities, whether voluntary organisation provided or publicly funded, might engage residents, but the cost implications of that invite a whole different debate.

Jim O’Rourke Newcastle Co Down Memories take flight Sir - One of my best memories of 2014 was when I was standing on a hill looking over Blackburn watching two aircraft flying towards me.

When they got nearer I could see that they were the last two Lancaster bombers in the world flying together.

One was going back to Canada. There was an unforgettable noise when they were above me. They were flying so low you could see the pilots, then they turned right and flew out of sight.

It was a sight I shall always remember for the rest of my days. I am not ashamed to say there were tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

Cedric Greenwood Cedar Grove Sutton-in-Craven Doing the decent thing Sir - I write with some sympathy for the councillor who found she could not attend meetings at Skipton Town Council, due to work commitments.

This is effectively a parish council (albeit a big-spending one).

Councillors sit on them entirely voluntarily and getting new councillors to serve and remain serving is difficult enough.

She did the decent thing, though, and resigned.

Paul Smales Meadow Lane Cononley Closing tax loopholes Sir - I have had much recent correspondence on tax avoidance and have been concerned to hear recent media reports claiming that HSBC helped thousands of wealthy clients avoid tax from countries around the world. I have been concerned by the historical lack of governance by those in authority at HSBC over the affairs of its Swiss arm.

Since 2010 the Government has closed many of the loopholes exposed in the recent report and it has specifically taken action to get back money lost in Swiss bank accounts.

HMRC has worked through a list of tax avoiders named in HSBC data and brought in more than £135 million in terms of tax, interest and penalties from individuals who hid assets in hidden Swiss HSBC accounts. The maximum penalty for hiding money in tax havens is more than 200 per cent of the tax evaded.

We have worked internationally to tackle tax avoidance. This was a goal of the UK Presidency of G8. During this time we won G8 agreement on transparency on the real owners of businesses, as well as getting OECD to develop a country-by-country reporting template for multinationals to report profit and tax information. Over 90 countries are now signed up to a new set of international reporting standards which have shut down opportunities for tax avoidance.

As a Liberal Democrat I want a tax system that is simple, competitive and fair. Most people and businesses in the UK pay their taxes on time and in full. Sadly, there are always some who try to evade paying their fair share. This is morally wrong and damages our economy and public finances.

Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, has made tackling tax avoidance a top priority and he has made some progress on the issue. Since coming into Government in 2010 he has led a crackdown on tax avoidance and is closing loopholes to make sure that those who need to pay do so.

Liberal Democrats in Government have made over 40 changes to the law to close loopholes and to make strategic changes to the way tax is collected to ensure that fewer people slip through the net.

There is more to do, but loophole closing means that the tax yield for this year will be more than £9 billion more than when we came into Government in 2010.

Liberal Democrats will continue to fight tax cheats. If returned to Government we wish to make further progress on the issue. We will make further investment in HMRC to enable them to tackle tax evasion and avoidance. We will introduce other measures like a general anti-avoidance rule, which will go beyond the current anti-abuse rule. We will seek to extend the requirement for country-by-country reporting from banks and extractive industries to cover all UK-listed companies. The majority of these proposals will be introduced under the annual Finance Bill, allowing us to take regular action throughout the Parliament term.

Jacquie Bell PPC, Skipton and Ripon Liberal Democrats High Street Belhaven Dunbar ‘Desperate’ arguments Sir - Malcolm Birks (prospective Labour Party candidate for Skipton & Ripon), in his letter to the Craven Herald (February 19), mentions tax avoidance as if it is the preserve of only the Conservative Party.

As has been recently pointed out, many of us are ‘guilty’, if that is the correct word, of tax avoidance. Whether this is when we gift aid donations to charity, or when we pay the window cleaner, electrician, or decorator with cash, allowing them the option to declare it, while leaving it unsaid that we are possibly getting a better price for the job. Hypocrisy was personified when Ed Balls said recently that we should get a receipt for every such transaction, but he could not provide receipts for his own claims for Parliamentary expenses for services carried out at his home, as recently reported in the press, and the other Ed did not come out smelling of roses either.

Whether or not you think all tax avoidance is morally right, we would be silly if we as individuals did not reduce our legal tax liabilities to the lowest level possible to maximise our net income. Who wants to pay more tax than necessary? Tax evasion, not avoidance, is illegal.

With regard to the purported four million children living in poverty, if we are to reduce the level of real poverty in this country we need a vibrant economy to provide support to those in real need. After the measures put in place by the current government we are now beginning to feel the benefits of growth in the economy, and significant falls in unemployment. It beggars belief that we are in a situation where it seems possible that the control of this country’s finances could be handed back to Ed Balls and his cohorts - there are so many people with short memories.

It seems to me that Mr Birks is resorting to desperate arguments in his recent letters in support of his candidacy for the Skipton & Ripon seat at the forthcoming election.

Richard Colley Park Avenue Skipton Ensuring fairness Sir - Malcolm Birks (Letters, February 19) railed against the HSBC for helping their rich clients avoid tax, and against the Conservative party (and presumably their coalition partners, the Lib Dems, who have kept them in power for five years) for not taking this seriously.

As is well-documented by now, the last Labour government had 13 years to take this seriously but Gordon Brown’s approach to regulation of the banks was, in his own words, “not a light touch but a limited touch”.

Yes, Mr Birks is right, it was the bankers ‘greed and profligacy’ that brought the financial system to the brink of disaster but they could only do it because Labour changed the laws for them. The bankers gambled with our money, lost it, and then the government gave them more of our money and let them keep their jobs and bonuses. And they’ve still got our money. How unfair is that?

It was Labour’s insistence that hospitals and schools were PFI-funded that has caused so much of the current austerity measures.

Measures that mean, for example, nurses did not get a recommended one per cent pay rise, or non-PFI hospitals losing services to PFI-hospitals riddled with PFI debts. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats continue to support PFI. Yes PFI is complex, but in a nutshell it forces the taxpayer to pay billions of pounds more than is needed.

Why doesn’t Mr Birks think a little more locally and encourage individuals to actively avoid the big firms so hitting them where it hurts, in the till? There are plenty of ways of buying music and books without using multinational tax-avoiders. It might cost a bit more but not always, I’ve tried it.

Furthermore Mr Birks’ pledge of a fairer society under a Labour government should fall on deaf ears given how unfair the last one was, well to most of us who aren’t rich. One person who is not listening to his pledge is someone you would probably expect to do so.

Peter Pinkney, the president of one of the major unions (the RMT has 80,000 members), will stand for the Green Party in Redcar at this year’s general election.

He said: “I could see that most of the (Green Party) policies were what the Labour Party once had, but those days are long gone with Labour... the Greens’ commitment to bring railways back into public hands struck a chord, but also policies to invest in the NHS, build social housing, institute higher taxes for those who can afford it, and put forward progressive policies on immigration informed my decision to stand”.

To paraphrase Mr Birks, the people of this constituency have a great opportunity to elect their first-ever Green MP, Andy Brown, and so be part of a fairer society. The majority of people would probably agree with Peter Pinkney, it’s up to us to vote for what we want.

If not now, when?

David Noland Brougham Street Skipton A refreshing change Sir – My family have lived, been educated and worked in the Craven area for several generations. We have never had our interests represented by successive Tory MPs.

There has been a persistent attitude of nonchalance demonstrated by candidates who, knowing they have a safe seat, do little to address the needs of the community as a whole.

How very refreshing it is therefore to read Mr Birks’ letters in the Craven Herald and to have a Labour candidate who understands that many hardworking people in this area are struggling financially and feel alienated from the political system both locally and nationally.

For the first time I can remember I shall not need to spoil my paper in May.

Jenny Birch Temperance Square Hellifield