Readers' letters - July 25

For over two years, Saudi Arabia has bombarded the people of Yemen. The Saudi bombs have fallen on schools, hospitals, even a family funeral, and vast residential areas have been treated as military targets.

Over 10,000 civilians have died and the livelihoods of millions thrown into crisis. Bombs dropped on Yemen are made in the UK.

A huge range of voices have called to end the sales, including a vote in the European Parliament.

The Government was taken to court by people who argued arms sales were illegal and immoral, but weeks ago the court ruled in the Government’s favour – a great disappointment. Is this a sick joke?

Over 10,000 killed since 2015 when the Saudis began their brutal bombing campaign, using British warplanes, British bombs, British training, British military advice and British diplomatic cover. The whole population is at risk of starving and water
facilities have been targeted, leading to cholera.

The court judgement says some crucial points of the UK selling arms to all and sundry. As shown in sickening detail by historian Mark Curtis, British foreign policy has been and remains a malign influence in the world, stirring up conflict and great bloodshed for cynical aims.

Only a radical transformation can end and begin to repair the damage caused by our rules. Things must change, and we must stop selling arms to blatantly murderous regimes.

We must all be involved working to achieve real peace throughout the world.

Royston Jones

Address supplied

Digital health project pilot

I am writing to let you know that Wigan residents with asthma are being invited to take part in an innovative new digital health project pilot that aims to reduce their risk of suffering asthma attacks.

Asthma UK’s 12-

Week Asthma Support Programme is funded by a Department of Health Innovation Challenge Fund grant.

It will provide people with asthma with remote and virtual support from a team of specialist asthma nurses and psychologists, who specialise in behavioural change, to reduce their chance of having an asthma attack.

Upon signing up for the pilot, people with asthma will receive personalised digital support that is easily and conveniently available to them wherever they are, via their smartphones.

The initial pilot will involve 30 people with asthma who have had an asthma attack in the last year, are aged between 18 to 67, live in England and have a smartphone.

After the initial pilot,

a further 320 people will be recruited to join a second phase, from autumn 2017.

The impact of the pilot in improving asthma control and reducing the risk of asthma attacks will then be evaluated.

Anyone who is interested in taking part in the 12-Week Asthma Support Programme pilot can find out more and sign up at www.asthma.org.uk/asthma-support- programme.

Michael Clarke

Director of Advice

and Content

Asthma UK

Support for equal pay at BBC

I fully support the female employees of the BBC in their fight for equal pay similar to that received by their male counterparts, but what I find even more ludicrous is the amount some of these men receive.

How can anyone be paid over a million pounds for basically sitting behind the wheel of a car or telling us about a football game that has just been screened?

Others of the highly paid are merely reading from a prepared script, which the ladies do just as well, in some cases better.

Edna

Levi

via email