Britain’s expulsion of 23 Russian intelligence agents raises important questions

Last week the government expelled 23 undeclared intelligence agents in the Russian Embassy.

The question is, how long had we known about their presence? Did they just discover them last week? Surely it would be better if their presence was known for some time that they were expelled when they were found out.

In return, as usual, the Russians have expelled 23 from the British Embassy. However the embassy still seems to function.

A second question is, are our embassies throughout the world overstaffed? Should we not, in these austere times, only have a minimum of staff in our embassies rather than have them as overseas luxury playgrounds for Foreign Office staff? BRUCE D SKIVINGTON

Strath, Gairloch The Rev. Dr John Cameron (Letters, 16 March) claims that Britain has “form” when it comes to using “illusory” scientific intelligence. I take it he is referring to Iraq.

Every man and his dog knew that Saddam Hussein had chemical weapons, which also come under the umbrella term “weapons of mass destruction”.

To the best of my recollection no other term was used by the Blair government, so no direct lie was issued, but, perhaps just as bad, it was no doubt taken for granted that the public interpretation would be “nuclear weapons”.

The scientific intelligence was certainly not illusory. There is no way that a nuclear weapons programme could be hidden from modern detection methodology and it is beyond doubt that the Iraq invasion took place with the full assurance that there would be no nuclear retaliation.

After being informed of the identity and highly likely origin of the nerve agent used at Salisbury, Jeremy Corbyn asked the (to anyone with any scientific training) jaw-dropping question as to whether microanalysis had been done. We are not talking kitchen sink chemistry here. There can be no illusion that the origin of this substance and its deployment had other than government backing. There remains, of course, the question of which government – but the answer to that requires more than scientific intelligence.

(DR )A MCCORMICK Kirkland Road, Terregles Let’s hope that Mr Putin does not turn off our gas supply over the nerve gas dispute. Of course, if the SNP and its Green masters had not vetoed the development of hydraulic fracturing to give us our own reliable gas supply we would not be at the mercy of Russia.

The SNP’S own scientific adviser reported that under UK regulations the supply would be as safe as any other fuel source, as has been demonstrated in the US.

Perhaps Patrick Harvie and the rest of his party could tell us if they currently use gas in their homes and offices and practice what they preach, and Nicola Sturgeon should ensure that the people of Scotland have a reliable supply of energy to keep their homes warm and safe.

BILL MCKENZIE Kirkhill Road, Penicuik