Remote from reality
Sir: How clever of the Independent to have found a Scottish poll tax payer living 'in a remote cottage without piped water, elec- tricity, gas, sewerage or roads' and there- fore not enjoying 'local services'. This obviously made a profound impression on your correspondent Mr Fyffe (Letters, 29 September).
Neither of them can think straight. The lucky Scot has no electricity or gas bills, pays no road tax and never receives a bill for water and what's known here as 'en- vironmental services'. None of these is a local government responsibility. None of them has anything whatsoever to do with the poll tax.
Around 60 per cent of local government spending goes on education, which the remote Scot may be in need of. Then about 15 per cent for social services, which might also come in handy one day. After that a 'Do you mind not using Chat Show lan- guage while you're here.' further 15 per cent or so for police, fire and rescue services — also useful on occasion. The rest is frittered away on transportation (so the delivery van can reach his local shop), housing, libraries and other services he doesn't use. Some councils even man- age to deliver this at a reasonable price.
One further thing we know about the remote Scot. He doesn't live in a council house. It wouldn't come up to standards. Susan Normington
5 Bridge Street, Wistow, Huntingdonshire
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