This week's letters to the Advertiser include your views on winter roads, abattoirs, plastic bag charges, obesity and more.

To have your say on any local issue, just email your views to editorial@helensburghadvertiser.co.uk with 'Letter' in the subject line of your email.

Please keep your letters as brief and to the point as you can, and include your name and address. We also require a daytime contact phone number in case we need to check any details at short notice, though this will not be printed.

Happy writing!

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On Tuesday evening I drove home to the Rosneath peninsula from Helensburgh around 11pm.

The council roads were covered in snow, with little apparent treatment. The MoD road between Garelochhead and Coulport, on the other hand, was completely clear, with not a snowflake in sight.

It seems to me that the money spent on keeping our roads open would be far less than the cost of schools being shut and businesses unable to operate efficiently. Does Argyll and Bute Council have the capacity to weigh up such equations?

Penny Elles, West Ailey, Cove

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I am writing to you hoping to raise awareness of the poor conditions in UK abattoirs.

Theresa May has promised to look into the welfare of animals in this country, with a view to improve welfare concerns.

I think that compulsory installation of CCTV in abattoirs, with access at any time by relevant officials, is urgent.

I have a feeling that the banning of puppy farms might take precedence. Of course, this is also a disgrace to our way of life, but if you enjoy your joint of meat, please realise we desperately need to update the way we get it.

Pat Everitt, Low Aldochlay Cottage, Luss

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Am I being unduly cynical at the support from retailers for compulsory plastic bag charging?

Apart from the few companies who claim to donate this income to charity, the rest will be laughing their way to the bank!

More to the point, would they allow customers to use the empty cardboard boxes in which products have been delivered to the shop?

My local supermarket used to have piles of these freely available at the checkout and plastic bag use was minimal as a result.

Nowadays, these have to be disposed of by retailers at vast cost. Surely far better for them to be taken home and disposed of by customers as domestic waste at no cost to traders?

John Hein, via email

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We need to be doing more to enable and encourage children in Scotland to walk to school . Thirty-one per cent of parents across Scotland believe active routes to school are not safe).

From our work with schools across Scotland, We know that a lot of parents are put off walking because of the speed and volume of cars outside the school gates.

There are practical solutions to these problems, including street closures, safer crossings, 20mph speed limits and walk to school programmes.

Without this investment, the NHS will pick up the costs of obese and inactivity amongst children.

Successful walk to school schemes, like Living Streets Scotland’s WOW programme, see over 75 per cent of pupils regularly travelling to school by foot, scooter, cycle or Park and Stride.

However, not all local authorities are making this type of investment, leaving many parents fearful about safety. This needs to change in 2018 to deliver safer friendlier streets and communities across Scotland.

Local authorities across Scotland should be engaging with walk to school programmes and enforcing restrictions on vehicles at school gates to ensure more families across Scotland can experience the benefits of walking more.

Rebecca Simpson,(manager, Living Streets Scotland (Schools))

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Testimony Films, an award-winning TV documentary company, are keen to speak to men and women in Britain who have memories of the First World War for a new BBC4 documentary series, ‘Britain’s Great War: The People’s Story’.

The series will feature the childhood stories of centenarians and super-centenarians who still vividly remember family life at the time, alongside archive footage and testimonies from those who fought.

We are especially interested in talking to those who may have lost a loved one at the front or who remember the air raids, the food shortages and the patriotic spirit of the time. If you – or someone you know – have childhood stories of the Great War, we’d love to hear from you.

Please contact me by email (mail@testimonyfilms.com), call 0117 925 8589, or write to Testimony Films, 12 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RH.

Emily Sivyer, Testimony Films

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At the end of this month, the Scottish Government will close its consultation on its forthcoming Diet and Obesity Strategy.

We hope by then it will have gathered a wealth of evidence to show that regulations to restrict multi-buy offers on unhealthy food and drink would be crucial in helping to stem the rising tide of obesity in Scotland.

There can be no doubt that a bold strategy is needed. Scotland has been in the grip of an obesity epidemic for too long. Not only is Scotland one of the heaviest nations in Europe, but Scots also buy double the amount of food and drink on price promotion than shoppers on the Continent.

The Scottish Government’s commitment to limit junk food marketing is a step in the right direction but, to progress, regulations are needed to restrict multi-buy offers on unhealthy food and drink.

Obesity is linked to 13 different types of cancer. As part of its forthcoming obesity strategy, the Scottish Government must grasp the opportunity to help families make it easier to keep a healthy weight. Measures to help us enjoy a better diet and fill our shopping baskets with healthy food will make it easier for us all to stack the odds of not getting cancer in our favour.

Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research UK

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Recent coverage of NHS Health Scotland’s report into public attitudes to obesity further serves to highlight Scotland’s damaging relationship with food.

This comprehensive report details the serious health conditions that can occur as a consequence of poor diet and it is clearer than ever that Scotland has lost its way in terms of appreciating the benefits of a good diet.

What’s needed now more than ever is better provision across Scotland of non-judgemental support and advice to help people improve what they eat and how they exercise.

The Scottish Government’s ongoing consultation provides an opportunity to focus on Scotland’s greatest health challenge and one which Scottish Slimmers is responding to.

We believe that better food and nutrition education, which does not demonise certain foods nor pass judgements on the choices people make, will lead to wide reaching benefits for families across Scotland.

Alexandra Howie (communications director, Scottish Slimmers)

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As we start out on another year, I wanted to take this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ to your readers and our supporters for their continued commitment to the charity.

Many of your readers have taken part in a host of challenge events and raised funds through, sweat, perhaps a few tears and sheer determination.

Others have supported events as volunteers, and without this army of support we simply wouldn’t be able to function.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of our charity, supporting fundraising, working in our services and shops.

By donating and shopping in our stores your readers have helped our local services, as the profits from retail go directly to support the charity’s work with some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children and young people.

We look forward to your continued support in 2018.

Martin Crewe (director, Barnardo’s Scotland)

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Readers may not be aware but World Cancer Day is fast approaching on February 4, which is a great time to raise funds and vital awareness in the fight for young lives against cancer.

CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, are calling on locals to ‘band together’ behind families affected by cancer by donating just £2 to get your own their special Band Against Cancer wristband (available in three different collectable colours)

Cancer can leave a lot of friends, family, colleagues, not knowing what to say, or do, and feeling helpless. Donating and getting your band is a simple way to show your support for CLIC Sargent and anyone you know who might be going through a really tough time.

Our recent ‘Hidden Costs’ research showed that 79 per cent of young people felt cancer had a serious impact on their emotional wellbeing, 70% experienced depression during their cancer treatment and 83 per cent of young people experienced loneliness during their cancer treatment.

By helping us to raise vital funds and awareness you will be ‘banding together’ behind children, young people and their families when their lives are turned upside down.

With your help, CLIC Sargent can reach those families through our support workers and nurses who provide practical, emotional and financial support, to help minimise the damage cancer causes to young people beyond their health.

To find out more about World Cancer Day and to get your own Band Against Cancer wristband go to clicsargent.org.uk/WorldCancerDay. The wristbands are also available in JD Wetherspoon pubs and Morrisons stores.

Rachael McLean (Fundraising Engagement Manager (West of Scotland), CLIC Sargent)