Letter: Let Scotland make its own mistakes

It is a pity Kenneth Roy is so eager to attack Scottish devolution that he fails to grasp the real issues involved in the salary for the chairman of the Scottish Arts Council ("If Scottish rule puts mediocrity in charge, forget it ", 15 September).

The fact is that the Secretary of State for Scotland neither consulted nor informed the officers of a so-called "arm's length" quango that he proposed to use part of its revenue to pay, for the first time, its chairman.

Will the chairs of other cultural agencies - the film and museum councils, the national galleries, museum and library, also now get a salary? Given that salaries make these jobs accessible to the non-rich, will they be advertised and the best talent selected?

These serious questions have nothing to do with Mr Roy's charge of devolution mediocrity.

Eric Robinson

Edinburgh