I have read reports the costs of childcare is a barrier to women returning to work.

The private sector child care is an industry not a charity and they base their fees on profit, not on families needing support.

It's only higher earners who have the money to send their children to nurseries, and lower earners think it isn't worth their while financially to go to work.

When I was a child during and after the war there were hundreds of state nurseries around Glasgow because women were working in jobs while their husbands were fighting or dead.

We needed them to do the jobs to keep the country going. I would suggest we looks again at state-run nurseries perhaps with a small affordable fee.

Rosemary Keery Glasgow

Plaque plea

It was fascinating to read about the terrible fire in Glasgow in 1949 which took the lives of 13 young shop workers. What a tragedy, and it left me wondering if there was ever a plaque or anything produced in remembrance of those poor souls who died so young? If not, it would be great to think that it is still not too late to do the right thing.

A Martin Glasgow

Black mark

Regarding Black Friday, including disgraceful scenes at Silverburn in Glasgow, what a bunch of morons. To save a few quid, they descend to levels that even animals would find hard to comprehend.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why, based upon the troubles last year, the shops didn't allow 50 or 100 in at a time and if they wanted anymore, then to rejoin the queue outside.

That said, I hope the authorities work out the costs for supplying police assistance and give the bill to all of the shops who requested a police presence.

Alex Ferguson via email

Bank cash

The banks have paid billions in fines for their scandalous behaviour over the years but where is this money? It should be spent on the NHS, schools, and repairing the horrendous state of our roads that is costing motorists so much.

John Kerr Coatbridge