MY children (age six and eight) are being shown the BBC programme Newsround in their school on a regular basis.

While this may seem like a good idea, to provide children with regular news updates, the content of Newsround is entirely England-centric, in line with many BBC news programmes. For instance on Thursday the programme had reports on Boris Johnson’s reshuffle, the appointment of a new Education Secretary (which is for England only) and reports on the progress of English football clubs. There were no updates from Scotland – indeed it is my understanding that my children are yet to hear or discuss a single Scottish news story while at school.

It is regularly the case that my children now come home and tell me all about English football, English cricket, English politics and other England-related news – while receiving nothing at all on what is happening in Scotland.

I wonder if this is happening across Scotland, and if so why on earth is the Scottish education system relying on the BBC to provide our young children with news? Have other National readers experienced this, or is this something that is isolated to the primary school that my children attend?
Peter Clark
via email

I WOULD like to reply to Charlie Kerr’s response to my letter (September 16), I do believe he has missed my point. I was suggesting that Chris McEleny was being a tad previous in his claim that Alba has “two MPs and a score of local councillors”, as they were elected to these positions as members of a party that was not Alba. If and when they are elected then he can make that claim.

To state that this practise has been followed at Westminster is hardly a recommendation! For me, that is the whole point of independence, doing things better. It appears Mr Kerr thinks it’s alright for MPs and others to change parties but what about the majority of voters who placed them there? Do they have no say? Surely, a by-election would confirm that the electorate are happy with their representative’s change of party or not? Would that not be a fairer way of doing things?

Could I also suggest that our First Minister has, by her more than competent leadership, been persuading people outside the bubble of the indy movement? I have very vivid memories of how the morning after the 2014 referendum felt. I do not want this to happen again, we need to be clear of the benefits of our independence and the inherent dangers of the status quo.
Name and Address supplied

I WAS interested in the letter from Isobel Delussy in yesterday’s National. I think I am correct in saying there are only three yards in Scotland now capable of building vessels of appreciable size – Upper Clyde, Rosyth and Ferguson’s.

Many years ago I had to award repair contracts for our agency vessels. Among the contractors invited to tender was Rosyth, they invariably came in about 30% higher than anyone else.

Eventually I phoned and asked if there was any point in my continuing to invite them. A representative came in and I was able to indicate areas where they were seriously agee. He thanked me, gave me a rather nice pen and when the next round of tenders came in lo and behold Rosyth was about 30% higher, I gave up.

The point I am making is that defence yards deal with the MoD and frankly they spend money like water, it took me about five months to persuade them to stop paying for the fuel for my vessels.

What we have left is Ferguson’s, a firm I had dealings with for many years and for which I have some affection – Ferguson’s is fully engaged in trying to deliver two very sophisticated ferries and it seems will be so engaged for the next two years.

What is the Scottish Government to do, we need the ferries and they have a duty to use taxpayers’ money to best effect?
Captain R Mill Irving
Gifford, East Lothian

I HAVE to agree with the content of yesterday’s letter from George Archibald regarding your headline (Ferry row after Scots’ yard overlooked for building new vessel).

I too would like an explanation as to whether Ferguson Marine was excluded, or if it declined from tendering for the new contract. If the former, I find it inconceivable that the Scottish Government who own the yard would take this decision to export vital jobs. I appreciate there are difficulties with the current ferry contract, but our First Minister at FMQs said the priority was to complete these vessels and get “the yard back on track”. Surely allowing Ferguson’s to compete for new work is the way to achieve this rather than send a wrong message to future customers?

I spent my working life in Clyde shipyards including a spell at Ferguson’s and this decision is painful for me and the current workforce, and incidently may lead to reconsidering my SNP membership.
John Macleod
Milngavie

I’M sure I’m not the only one who thinks that the demand by some pro-independence supporters to speed up the process totally fails to consider that a majority is needed. It’s as simple as that, and Nicola wisely takes this into account. Convincing the majority is the only way to win, and we must win next time round!
Dennis White
Blackwood

ONE contributor to yesterday’s National Conversation stated the obvious that Nicola Sturgeon hadn’t yet got a referendum. She hasn’t lost one either.
Archie Drummond
Tillicoultry