A new survey commissioned by the NSPCC has found that four out of five parents in England believe that it is unacceptable to use physical punishment on a child.

Our survey found strong support (59%) for changing the law to bring an end to children receiving physical punishment.

We believe that this shows that current legislation around physical punishment is out of step with public attitudes.

Under the current law, the defence of ‘reasonable punishment’ allows parents to argue that it is reasonable to use physical force against their children.

The NSPCC is calling on the Government to use the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to end physical punishment against children in England for good.

More than 60 countries around the world, including Wales and Scotland, have already put measures in place to protect children from harm, but the current law means that children in England are not protected in law from physical assault. This needs to change.

Sincerely,

Emma Motherwell, NSPCC Local Campaigns Manager,

South West & Channel Islands

I see that Exeter University offers a "Renewable Energy Engineering MSc" course.

I also see that a plethora of various "green" experts have been writing from Exeter to the Devon Press and Western Mail, Cardiff, advocating renewable energy ideas galore. These people are full of support for gigantic 820 ft wind turbines, which are being planned for Wales, yet are notably absent in Devon.

May I therefore suggest a common-sense idea which would be worth millions of pounds to Exeter University and the West Country? It would also attract students aplenty to the Renewable Energy Engineering course.

Why not erect an 820 ft wind turbine, like one of the hundreds planned for Wales, in the extensive grounds of Exeter University at Streatham Campus, Exeter? Then its construction, engineering details, size, noises, shadow-flicker, TV interference and various other facets could be studied in detail ......on site...for that degree course! An ideal practical proposition!

Furthermore, since Penryn Campus, Falmouth is part of the university, I suggest that one 260ft blade and one third of the 560ft support stanchion [ 187ft long] be shipped in from Vestas in Denmark, to the famously deep harbour at Falmouth next to Penryn. Students at Penryn Campus could then study the blade and stanchion in extreme detail at ground level. Ideal, once more!! The two parts could then be carted via the excellent A39 and A390 roads to Exeter to be erected at the Streatham Campus. August would be a good month, so that tourists could enjoy having a close look at the 260ft and 187 ft lorry loads, travelling at about 5 mph.

I suggest, as part of this practical engineering course, that the second blade and stanchion section be brought into Penzance or Newlyn harbour, Cornwall, to replicate the 3000 journeys planned for these long loads along the narrow, winding country lanes of Wales.

The third blade and stanchion part should be brought into London Docks, to be transported down the M25, M4 and M5, to Exeter, so that Ed Miliband and his cronies can have a good view of what they are advocating! The transportation should be filmed in detail, of course, so that everyone, especially engineering students, can study the logistics.

So, GO FOR IT! Exeter University !! Apply for the Vestas wind turbine! You'll get the complete backing of Cabinet Minister, Stephen Kinnock MP, whose wife, Helle, is a Director of Vestas Wind Turbines !! She may well get you a very good discount on the price of the multi-million-pound machine. I'm sure Ed Miliband would also award you a substantial grant!!

This 820ft wind turbine would put Exeter University in a leading global position in Renewable Energy Engineering!!

Think of the kudos!! Think of the investment in Exeter and Falmouth !! IDEAL !!

Yours faithfully,

Lyn Jenkins

Via Email

I've been noticing for a while now in this paper that news of schools only ever seems to come from those that are part of an academy school chain. Indeed, this is hard to miss, since their academy's name is mentioned prominently in the first paragraph, presumably placed there by whoever wrote the press release. And this week, a full page advert from one academy, to tell us how wonderful all their particular schools are. I find this remarkably horrible.

It increasingly seems that the main difference between academy chains and regular schools is that the academies spend less of their money on high-quality teacher training and more on their PR department instead. (This is, in fact, true: academies in general spend far more of their money on middle-management, back-office posts.)

Is this what we want for our children? That their school becomes a "brand", in competition with other such brands? Or would we rather that the money these schools receive from the Department of Education went on children's education?

Yours,

Sylvia Rose,

Totnes

Braverman fuels division on migration

So, Suella Braverman has become the first Tory MP to address an anti-immigration protest in the UK.

Braverman has got a brass neck as long as my back garden.

Do these so-called patriotic protesters not realise that it was Braverman and her ex-boss Boris Johnson who introduced the open-door migration policy that has caused this chaos because of their crackpot, cliff-edge Brexit deal in the first place?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle!

Using phrases such as "invasion" like Braverman did is pure radicalisation on the part of herself, Robert Jenrick, and Nigel Farage, and the sooner these people realise that, the better!

Yours etc

Geoffrey Brooking

I was pleased to see Ellen Grindley’s recent article on the forthcoming reorganisation of local government here in Devon. It is interesting to note that of the original seven south-west counties, only Devon and Gloucestershire remain two-tier. The unitarisation of councils has been going on for many years under governments of every colour.

The debate locally has been very disappointing, with its concentration on combinations of existing districts rather than any analysis of services and costs. In our area, DCC accounts for 80% and TDC 10% of the rates expenditure.

It is difficult to take the Exeter City Council proposal seriously. The Government Guidance talks about unitaries with a minimum population of 500.000 and yet Exeter’s proposal is for a greater Exeter with a population of 256,401. It is interesting to note that the existing population of Exeter (134,939) would exceed that of its annexed towns and parishes (121,462). The resultant rest of Devon ‘do-nut’ makes little sense.

The Districts in the rest of the county have looked at combinations of their existing boundaries, including Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon, Torridge and North Devon on the one hand and Torbay, Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon on the other.

None of these proposals seems to address existing county-level strategic services (80% of expenditure) with the issue of duplication of chief officers, departments and bureaucracies and consequential costs, without a single member of staff more at the service delivery level.

Do we need two chief execs, two directors of Road/Children/Social Services/Public Health/Legal Services, etc, where we have just one of each at present?.

On the other hand, there would be considerable savings in having only one department dealing with Building Control/Development Management/Environmental services/Leisure/Housing/Economy and so on, rather than 8 or 9 of each. It is difficult to believe that there are 9 different waste collection and recycling services in Devon outside of Plymouth, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, Devon County Council has not come to a public view yet. It has been reported that it is analysing numerous options before coming to a view. Understandable perhaps, as so many new county councillors were elected in May, many with former District Council experience.

The role of town and county parishes is important in the coming changes, and it is hoped that they will be represented on local council bodies, whatever the final shape of local government in Devon.

It is looking unlikely that the 10 councils involved (including Plymouth) will come up with a single model to put to the Government. It is hoped, however, that what is proposed is based on service delivery and cost savings rather than a jigsaw variation based on current boundaries.

Edward Chorlton OBE,

Teignmouth