Madam, - Kevin Myers writes: "Only a minority of Scottish people work for a living - and most of those who have jobs are employed by the state: 577,300" (An Irishman's Diary, February 8th). This figure comes from the 3rd Quarterly of Public and Private Employment, which also states that 1,890,700 people work in the private sector. Given that Mr Myers's whole article rests upon these figures, shouldn't they be checked first, before pen is put to paper? - Yours, etc,
DERMOT GALLAGHER, Wexford Street, Dublin 2.
Kevin Myers writes: Dermot Gallagher is right. Unfortunately, I misread - and therefore misquoted - the report in question. However, my substantive point stands. Scotland has proportionately the largest state-sector workforce of any democracy anywhere.
Naturally, I apologise for my error.