STEWART Paterson reported on March 5 on the latest limp response, this time from the Cabinet Secretary.

All credit to Annabel Goldie for raising the issue, but to hear Shona Robison reading from a prepared script, presumably written by the health board's resident six-year-old graffiti artist, is an insult.

The original calculation of spaces required appears flawed, and for the board to pronounce 3,500 spaces in 2016 as though it is enough shows little understanding of real life.

That will give around 1.85 spaces per bed against a current level of about 2.0 - is that adequate - and in the interim we will only have about 1.3 per bed.

This at a time when the hospital will be receiving up to three times as many A&E patients as now, quicker turnround of patients will mean more coming and going, and the enhanced education and research facilities will presumably be busy.

Anybody got a ha'penny worth of tar to stop this ship being spoiled?

James Sandeman, Newton Mearns

GLASGOW'S roads are a mess. I cycle in from Lanarkshire regularly and you can definitely feel the poor road quality begin from the council boundary. Rough, cracked road surfaces making the going tough.

Only on Wednesday, I hit a pothole just before the roundabout on Bogleshole Road that took the wind clean out of me. I had to stop for a minute to get myself together. I was genuinely surprised to find it hadn't damaged my bike.

Chris Hamilton, posted online

DELIGHTED to see the Mary Barbour statue fund has finally been launched. It might only be 100 years since her great achievements but it is better late than never. She is a true Glasgow heroine and ahead of her time. It is a disgrace that she has not been honoured properly before this and I will stick my neck out and say of she had been a man there would have been a statue a long time ago.

G Candy, Glasgow

REGARDING the latest flights announcement, Cardiff is to get direct flights to Munich and Milan, but neither of Glasgow's airports has a direct link to either of these cities. The management of Glasgow International and Prestwick need to up their game.

David Graham, South East Glasgow