MARTIN Williams points up the danger from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) to Scotland’s food brands (“Arbroath smokies hung out to dry”, The Herald, February 13). Whilst this aspect is indeed important, it represents the mere tip of the iceberg. Due to the fact that this EU-Canada free trade deal has been negotiated in secret for nine years and that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has denied Parliament a debate on it on the floor in Westminster, there are few people in Scotland who have absorbed the many other negative implications of this trade agreement for Scotland.

However, what is most important for us to acknowledge is that Keith Brown, the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, announced that the Scottish NHS has not been exempted from CETA. Other countries like Germany have made sure that their whole health system is protected, by specifically indicating that it will not be open to privatisation through CETA. Britain has only exempted the private ambulance service.