The suggestion that the UK could raise significant sums by increasing the limit on premium bonds is not, unfortunately, mathematically sound (Letters, 17 September). If the money was moved from UK banks and building societies, then it would be moving from a taxed environment to an untaxed environment. So, in addition to paying 3.6% interest in prizes, the exchequer would lose between 20% and 40% tax on the cancelled deposit account. This is likely to take the effective cost beyond 4%, and above the rate the government pays on short-term gilts.
Steve Duffy
Chippenham, Wiltshire
• Sue Leyland (Letters, 21 September) wonders if we’ll be giving up life on the Gordon Bennett. Don’t panic, Sue, we hope this is only a brief hiatus from bobbing about, but there’s a couple of tumours that need dealing with. We’ve called them Donald and JD and hope they’ll be successfully removed by the new year.
Ian and Christine Grieve
Gordon Bennett, Llangollen canal
• The headline on your interview with Noah Lyles (‘The future of sprinting is hazy right now. Nobody knows which direction to go in’, theguardian.com, 22 September) raises an obvious question.
Graham Whittington
Rochefort-en-Valdaine, France
• Re your column (The one change that worked, 22 September), the one that worked for me was “get old”. Retire, stay in bed with a cup of tea, read the Guardian, send an email if anything stirs you.
Michael Fuller
Ampthill, Bedfordshire
• “Jus” for “gravy” (Cryptic crossword, 22 September)? How very Guardian.
Linda Mockett
Wokingham, Berkshire
• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
