Letters to the Editor

Sir, - Having read your article (D&S Oct 22) headed "Pensioners' fear of sad, lonely death," may I applaud the accuracy and concise detail of the report of the meeting in Hawes.

I recently had to talk through the procedure of reporting an out-of-hours call to a holiday maker whose son had fallen out of a tree. Fortunately, a visit to Catterick was not necessary as we bandaged the boy's head and kept him calm and he soon recovered.

At the Hawes meeting, the public were given copies of a report on a meeting on October 13 when it was said that the out-of-hours cover progress meeting would be covered at a dedicated meeting at the Dales Countryside Museum on October 19.

Present were: head of improvement; head of democratic services; policy officer; scrutiny support officer; democratic services officer - and then I found reference to a new post holder, a domestic abuse service co-ordinator. I asked myself: What do they all do?

Since the meeting I have learned of another band of "workers" which will be required, mirroring what Defra does ensuring a beast is traceable.

This time though, it is you and me. The environmental guys and girls of Richmondshire are visiting restaurants and advising chefs that they must keep a clip board handy. The column headings are: table number and temperature of dish (meat, fish, etc) when it left the kitchen.

The nanny state is now spreading its tentacles.

The bean counters and consultants who suggest change and then walk away unaccountable and overpaid, need to be brought to book.

I came out of the Hawes meeting and drove down Wensleydale thinking that many of us will feel chest pains and get the flutters in the new year when we receive our council tax demands, so please arrange for the German doctors to be on hand.

KEN WALSH

West Burton,

Leyburn.

We deserve better

Sir, - I would hope nobody reading the moving accounts in your newspaper of the fears now present in the minds of the residents in the upper Dales over having to travel to Catterick to see a doctor out of hours will agree with Chris Long, chief executive of the Hambleton and Richmondshire Primary Care Trust (PCT), that we are being offered a service that meets our unique needs. Patently we are not and Chris Long's defence of the indefensible is disappointing.

What we are being given is a second class service that is all the PCT is prepared to afford, this despite the £130,000 grant from central government that the trust received to respond to the difficulties of implementing the new GP out of hours service in rural areas and the objective of the PCT to bring unscheduled healthcare closer to "vulnerable groups" living in remote areas.

Iain Robertson, chief executive of the North Yorkshire Emergency Doctors (NYED) now admits that the 2000-plus people living at the extreme end of the Dales represent, at 24-34 miles away, the largest community in all Yorkshire remotely placed from their out-of-hours GP.

It is the fear of having to undertake these long journeys, especially in the hostile territory on the lonely moors above Catterick, accompanying a sick patient, in the middle of the night, sometimes in bad weather, that has disturbed local people and the confidence they have in the new service.

The much heralded solution, in Chris Long's own words, to the "wicked issue" of GP out of hours cover in the upper Dales was the use of Aysgarth surgery. The figures show that with less than 10 consultations at Aysgarth in the last six months as opposed to nearly 100 at Catterick, the NYED doctors have voted with their feet to stay furthest away from some of the patients they are here to serve, making them come to see them rather than meeting them halfway. This is another disappointment for the Dales.

Whilst I welcome the use of the Bainbridge ambulance station and the involvement of the paramedics there for initial consultations which should help to reduce the number of trips local people are being forced to make to Catterick, there are occasions when only the re-assurance of seeing a doctor will do.

As the first winter of the new arrangements for the upper Dales approaches, I call upon the PCT and NYED to deliver a service that we deserve by maximising the use of Aysgarth surgery for consultations with the out of hours doctors and the re-introduction of Saturday and bank holiday drop-in surgeries. Anything less is selling the Dales well short of what they are entitled to.

JOHN BLACKIE

North Yorkshire county councillor for the upper Dales,

Dryden House,

Hawes

Chief's exception

Sir, - It is regrettable that you saw fit to publish the letter from John Coverdale of Ingleby Greenhow (D&S, Oct 15). It was fundamentally ill-informed.

I take great exception to Mr Coverdale's assertion that there was an attempt by me to encourage officers to "break the law" in relation to jury service. That is a serious allegation which I deny. I would like him to withdraw it.

The force's response to the change in the law abolishing the exemption from jury service for police officers was precisely about concerns as to the impact on the operational effectiveness of the force.

Mr Coverdale appears to feel just as strongly as I do about that. He will no doubt have noted that the North Yorkshire Police Authority shares that anxiety.

Guidance has been issued to officers underlining the professional, operational conflict that service on a jury might create for them, and indicating that in such cases the force will support officers wishing to seek excusal. I would have thought that since Mr Coverdale professes such concern for the effectiveness of front-line policing he would have supported those steps.

Mr Coverdale's remarks in relation to Cleveland Police are not for me to address.

The delivery of effective policing for North Yorkshire and the City of York has nothing to do with political correctness and everything to do with service delivery by the hard-working officers and staff of North Yorkshire Police, all of whom do indeed receive training in diversity awareness issues - the communities we serve have a right to expect no less.

Mr Coverdale's criticisms are without foundation. They may have been deliberately exaggerated for effect. In any event they are offensive to me and to the dedicated team whom it is my privilege to lead.

DELLA CANNINGS

Chief Constable, North Yorkshire Police,

Newby Wiske,

Northallerton.

Review benefits

Sir, - I note with amazement your article (D&S, Oct 15) concerning the so-called cash crisis within the Cleveland Police.

We already know about the shortfall of £6m reported in the budget this year. We are now informed that we, the taxpayer, must ensure that, before all else, the pensions of retiring police officers must be guaranteed. (no retirement at 65 for police officers).

If the demand on the police budget is so high, could I suggest a review of the benefits offered.

We are advised that costs are spiralling due to the number of officers that are due to retire in the near future. We are also advised that costs must be reduced due to the impact of new legislation, reduced national funding and capped precepts.

As a solution, Cleveland Police purpose voluntary or early retirement. Thus, in one action, we reduce the service offered and increase the burden on the police budget.

IAN RUTHERFORD

Hartburn,

Stockton.

Pounce on this

Sir, - After reading (D&S Oct 15) about the damage being done to Blakey bridge in Sowerby, I think I have a solution to this problem.

Why don't the two police officers who have been hiding behind walls at South Kilvington Primary School, waiting to pounce on mums and dads and slapping £30 fines on them for so-called illegal parking, move to Blakey bridge. They could hide in the hedgerow, one at either end, and jump out and slap fines on the HGVs that are causing all the damage.

On another matter I seem to recall that Tesco offered to sponsor Thirsk's roundabouts but Coun Andrew Robinson thought Tesco would take over Thirsk and so their offer was turned down. We have now come full circle with local businesses offering help.

All this time has been wasted - who knows Thirsk might have gained more points in their Blooming competition!.

MARY BROWN

Dowber Way,

Thirsk.

Slowly does it

Sir, - I was very interested in last week's Margaret Cave column (D&S, Oct 15) to read about her visit to Ludlow, a "slow" town and how the slow movement came about.

Most town centres are so alike now with branches of the same chains everywhere, one wonders how they get planning permission in some picturesque places. We were horrified to see a huge Edinburgh Woollen Mill in the centre of the Cotswold village of Bourton on the Water.

What would be nice as well as slow towns would be pop music-free shops. It seems that everywhere you go these days pop music is blasted at you, even thumping out of the windows of passing cars. If we must have music, couldn't it sometimes be something soothing like Classic FM's Smooth Classics? What about at least one quiet shopping day a week?

Y ROWE

Thornbury Rise,

Darlington.

Heavy heroes

Sir, - I was, of course, delighted to see Carolyn Thorpe's piece (D&S, Oct 15) about Trooper, later Troop Sgt Maj, James Rawlins, and his part in the glorious yet disastrous charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava 150 years ago and his eventual burial in Thirsk.

Too often is overlooked the superbly successful charge of the Heavy Brigade earlier the same day when a much stronger force of Russian cavalry was totally defeated leaving 500 dead and wounded on the field, and less than 100 5th Dragoon Guards and Inniskilling Dragoons. Historians tell us that "it was the advance of the Heavies which gave check to the Russian cavalry and enabled the remnants of Cardigan's light regiments to rally safely."

Alas, none of the regiments which took part exist independently any more, but four of them are now amalgamated into The Royal Dragoon Guards, now serving in Iraq, whose splendid museum can be seen today in Tower Street, York. It is well worth a visit.

One similar aspect of both then and now is the lack of support given to the nation's soldiers by the government of the day.

Brig A MILLEN (rtd)

Late 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards

Ampleforth.

Regional Assembly vote

Sir, - When five cabinet Ministers and the Labour leader of the Welsh Assembly arrive in the North-East all at once, the public should be very suspicious.

Where have these people been when their Government should have been sorting out the problems of the North-East?

They are clearly rattled that their campaign for a North East Assembly has failed to gain popular support - worse for them, the more people hear about it the more support slips away.

This is a vital week for people to make up their minds. My advice is - if you have a reasonable doubt, vote No.

The Government proposal offers an assembly with no real powers except the power to raise money to fund more professional politicians. Your council tax will go up if there is a Yes vote, but the politicians will have little power to do anything but talk.

The No side has based all of its arguments on what is contained in the draft bill. The Yes side talks in vague terms about their wild dreams and wish lists.

People should vote on what is on offer. Yes could slow down the North-East with an expensive white elephant. No will force the politicians to think again and try for something better.

The Yes side say we are offering no alternative, but the question on the ballot is Yes or No, not either/or. Alternatives must come after a No vote has been secured.

Vote No if you are not sure. Vote No if you think the Government offer is poor and expensive. Vote No to make the politicians do their job properly and think of policies to help the region.

GRAHAM ROBB

Spokesman for the No campaign

Middleton St George,

Darlington.

Cost warning

Sir, - The Yes campaign claims that a regional assembly would cost only "in the first year 5p a week on band D council tax".

Look at the example of the London Assembly for what happens after year one.

In 1998, the Government said " . . Londoners will contribute a small amount, for example, about 3p a week for those with a band D council tax bill. Overall there be no increase in public expenditure".

In reality, the administrative cost of the London Assembly and mayor has soared to £60m. This year's council tax precept is £118 on a band D house to fund the assembly's administrative costs. You have been warned.

RICHARD BELL

North East Says No campaigner

Eggleston.

Facts say No

Sir, - The YES campaign's Ray Mallon had nothing of substance to say on TV this week. When debating with Graham Robb and John Elliott all he could come up with were wish-lists and an advert for his mayor's role. The NO side based arguments on the facts in the Government Bill. The thing I have in common with Mr Mallon is that I haven't read the Bill, but I'm grateful at least one side of the debate has, and is telling us what it contains.

I ask, will it cost us more? Both sides agree it will. Will it have self-important politicians like Scotland and Wales? Yes it will. Will the Government still control the policies? Yes it will. Couldn't our MPs speak up for the region? Yes they can but they don't.

The No side might have some daft stunts but it is the only one to take this debate seriously. If the vote is yes we'll be stuck with this white elephant for years, if the answer is No, the Government will be forced to think again and offer some alternatives.

EVELYN MACHIN

Kitching Grove,

Darlington.

Euro meddling

Sir, - The people of the North-East never asked for an elected regional assembly yet John Prescott is seeking to impose one upon them.

What he is most careful to conceal is that regional assemblies are designed to act as a conduit for interference and control by the European Union: thus ultimately bypassing Westminster.

These regional assemblies must be opposed because as the EU Committee of the Regions itself has clearly stated: "the job of these assemblies is to implement EU law".

This is not democracy closer to the people. Neither is it decentralisation, just the opposite. It is EU integration by stealth and it is part of the process of dismantling the nation state and making each region dependent upon the EU.

This is the undeclared agenda of Mr Prescott and the Government. Voters should take note and vote "non" to avoid further steps towards EU government by the back-door.

JUDITH LONGMAN

Director, Yorkshire & Humber Against Regional Governance,

Huddersfield.

Preserving privilege

Sir, - It is no surprise that the official No organisation NESNO has drafted in London-based advisers to mastermind their campaign. NESNO wants to keep the status quo, which would mean decisions affecting the North-East still being made in London.

Having our own elected regional assembly will mean decisions for our region being made here in the North-East by people we elect, not by unelected Quangos appointed by government ministers in London.

Rule from London has left our region the worst in the country by any measure of economic and social well-being. Most people are dissatisfied with the present system of regional decision-making. An elected assembly would give us the chance to make decisions for ourselves.

Several NESNO members sit on one or more of the 60-plus unelected North-East Quangos, all paid for by our taxes but completely unaccountable to the people of the region. No wonder NESNO wants to keep the status quo and their positions of privilege.

Coun CHRIS FOOTE-WOOD

Northern Region Liberal Democrats,

Cockton Hill Road,

Bishop Auckland.