It is to be hoped that Mark Koziol (Letters, 13 June) is right in his assessment that management changes at Boots may herald a change in business culture. But there are serious concerns about the future of pharmacies in the light of government plans to radically change the service and substantially reduce their number. Boots is not the only large company operating in this field, and the government should ensure that customers have a choice of provider wherever possible and that independent pharmacies continue to play a significant role in this key personal service.
Jeremy Beecham
Labour, House of Lords
• The money that Tom Mahoney and his employer contributed towards his firm’s pension (Letters, 8 June) is ringfenced, but on its own this was never going to produce more than a quarter of his pension. The remaining three-quarters was expected to come from investment earnings on the accumulated fund. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, investment returns have failed to match expectations and it is this, plus pensioners living longer, that has led to the holes in pension funds.
Roger Dennis
Colchester
• Rather than being converted to the side of the angels (Editorial, 13 June), is it not more likely that your reported ever-increasing number of Conservatives calling for Philip Green to be stripped of his knighthood are doing so because it was bestowed by Tony Blair?
Don Selway
Portsmouth
• A verb to mean to “use a contactless card” (Letters, 13 June)? How about “to flash”? The reaction of the customer when asked at the checkout if he or she wants to flash, however, might be a cause for concern.
Dave Verguson
Huddersfield
• The Australians call it “paywave” which seems apt, even as a verb.
Glenn Barr
Hornsea, East Yorkshire
• Can we now assume that the correspondence on alleys (Letters, 11 June) has reached a dead end?
Ron Brewer
Old Buckenham, Norfolk
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
