WEDNESDAY (October 18) saw some interesting statistics being published: we had new employment figures and despite a slight rise in unemployment figures for Scotland, the country out-performed the UK ("Jobless figure rises but still better than UK average" The Herald, October 19). This was then followed by even more statistics released from the House of Commons, as a result of Opposition day at the House of Commons, when the Labour Party went on a debate to stop the roll-out of Universal Credits ("PM is left exposed by Universal Credit vote", The Herald, October 19).

MP after MP reported harrowing cases of hardship, rent arrears and evictions as a result of Universal Credits. SNP MP Drew Hendry told the Commons that a Universal Credit pilot scheme in his constituency, in the Highland Council area, had seen rent arrears jumping from tens of thousands to £2 million. But the most interesting statistic from the Commons was the fact that Conservative MPs did not turn up to vote, demonstrating that despite example after example of hardship as a result of Universal Credits, Conservative MPs were not for turning. They were guilty of the sin of omission.

Catriona C Clark,

52 Hawthorn Drive,

Banknock, Falkirk.

WEDNESDAY’S vote on pausing the roll-out of Universal Credit raises some very interesting questions.

Is it not an abdication of both responsibility and principle to instruct elected representatives, as the Tories did, to abstain from voting on such a crucial matter affecting so many of their constituents? Or does the risk of humiliation from losing a vote outweigh both these considerations?

Moreover, will those who chose to elect the new Scottish Thirteen feel that they were representing both their and Scotland’s interests by their Westminster-imposed silence? Perhaps they would do well to reflect that, come a hard Brexit with the severe damage to Scotland apparently detailed in the still-secret Government report, they themselves might well find they need the support of this botched implementation of a benefit scheme. In particular, how do they feel about one of their MPs giving higher priority to a football match than to debating and voting on behalf of those in dire need?

Are the Thirteen there to be their constituents’ and Scotland’s voice or to do what they are told by Westminster Tories to protect them and their leader?

P Davidson,

Gartcows Road, Falkirk.

WITH Celtic’s demise from the Champions League to hopefully the Europa Cup (“Devoured by monster Munchen”, Herald Sport, October 19) it’s good to know that Scotland will still be represented in the knockout stages of the Champions League, by Douglas Ross; he could go all the way to the final in May. I wonder if his constituents will be cheering “C'mon the linesman" as some of them struggle with their claim for Universal Credit and thereafter await its arrival.

Is this what Ruth Davidson calls getting on with the day job?

Robert McCaw,

6 Hamilton Crescent, Renfrew.

I NOTED with interest your article on the failure of the Scottish NHS boards to send multiple sclerosis patients south for specialist NHS treatment not available in Scotland (“Scots patients lose out on pioneering MS treatment”, The Herald, October 18). This also happens with other conditions such as Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, where the NHS centre in the UK is at University College Hospital in London. It is iniquitous that we all pay UK taxes which fund the NHS but are in fact being denied access to these special centres by the Scottish Government, thus leaving the patients concerned to continue to suffer unnecessarily.

Elizabeth Marshall,

Western Harbour Midway, Edinburgh.