Letter: Scotland's missiles

Sir: Among your references to new jobs, homes, teachers and other items on the programme of the Scottish National Party (leading article, 25 September), the most interesting was a "non-nuclear defence policy".

The location of nuclear weaponry is the most important issue in the whole devolution/ independence debate and, at the same time, is the one probably receiving the least attention. Westminster seems very keen to play matters down, probably to avoid the risk of alarming constituents and fuelling anti-nuclear sentiment in England. Maybe some of them should start thinking about a specific answer to the question of just where the submarines and missiles are to be located, if not in an independent, nuclear-weapon-free Scotland.

DAVID EAGLE

Edinburgh