Dear Editor, So the Scottish Executive are investing a further £3.5m into BT in Scotland to provide Broadband for local communities making a total of £5m. That is great for those communities that come on stream. How do Broadband excluded Communities ensure they are switched on? However is this not an unfair investment by the Scottish Executive in a UK company? What are the European Competition issues? Perhaps the Scottish Executive can over-rule the EU Regulations?

David Halton, Ellon, Near Aberdeen

Dear Editor, As we are all aware it was HBOS that pulled the plug on Farepak by not extending the parent companies overdraft. The result - administrators had to be pulled in and ex Farepak customers did not receive the Christmas savings that averaged between £400 and £2,000 per customer. HBOS generously donated £2m to help cushion the blow. Farepak had 150,000 customers. A simple calculation £2,000,000 divided by 150,000 gives a sum of £13.33p per customer. What can you buy at Christmas for that? Perhaps the directors of HBOS could make a New Years resolution to put £100 aside for each ex Farepak customer in a preferential interest bearing deposit account so that for next Christmas ex Farepak customers can enjoy a super bumper celebration investing their own money with a £100 Xtra help from the listening bank.

Best wishes, A Christmas tide well wisher

Dear Editor, It is rumoured that Bill Gates will visit the Scottish Parliament at the end of January? Why, to tell like minded individuals and European governments how wonderful Microsoft Products are. I have some questions. Microsoft products are proprietary, they cost money. Therefore is there not a case to have another conference at the Scottish Parliament, this time for the Open Source Community (They provide free equivalents to Microsoft Word and Excel and much more). Is it not better to use free software in government departments than software you have to pay for.

'Disgruntled'

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