Assembly costs

However, I consider you have been too polite in some of your comments. For instance, when Mr "Two Fat Jags" John Prescott is pushing hard for us to accept a regional assembly, we should all be suspicious bearing in mind his success rate as a senior cabinet minister is zero.

We have seen him bang the table at the 1999 Labour Party convention stating how he was going to knock heads together in the rail industry and how he was going to sought out our disgraceful public transport system. We have heard him rant on about improving our environment. He has failed miserably in all of these areas, so why should we believe him on the mythical benefits of a regional assembly?

There are only three things certain about a regional assembly. A massive luxurious new building will be required at an initial estimated cost of £40m, but actual construction costs will exceed £400m, each household will incur an average increase of £200 per year in council tax, and it will be a forum for "jobs for the boys".

Typical candidates for election to the assembly will be: current Westminster MPs who are tired of travelling up and down to London;

local government part-time councillors who want to be full-time salaried politicians; business people and property developers who want to further their own interests; naive souls who want to resurrect the ancient kingdom of Northhumbria.

The aim will be to manage and generate economic development in the region which is none other than a pious myth. Since the early Nineties, the North-East economy has been controlled overseas from Tokyo, Seoul and Frankfurt.

Take for example the great fanfare at the opening of factories by Fijitsu, Siemens and Samsung in the region and look what has happened to them after they had massive Government grants and tax concessions. They have all ceased operating. Also, take Nissan at Sunderland which blackmails the Government every four years for £80m to develop a new model or they will take production to France. When international companies make decisions on a global scale, they look after their own backyard first so the influence of a regional assembly is negligible.

Electors have already expressed dissatisfaction with the expensive, inefficient and corrupt talking shop in Brussels and hopefully the referenda on regional assemblies, the euro and the European constitution will all be a massive NO. The last thing tax payers want is another expensive, wasteful and impotent talking shop.

TREVOR NICHOLSON

Mill Lane,

Leeming.

They're Tories

Sir, - Last month it was reported that a group of North-East business leaders had launched a campaign against an elected regional assembly.

The list of names made interesting reading.

A number of them, in recent years, donated well over £200,000 to the Conservative Party.

There is nothing wrong with this but your readers are entitled to know the political affiliations of the group.

There are of course many business people who are backing the YES campaign.

GORDON ADAM

Labour MEP

Forest Hall,

Newcastle upon Tyne.

It's rubbish

Sir, - A new system for refuse collection is in the process of being implemented in Northallerton and the surrounding area and it is based on the clear assumption that "one size fits all".

Hambleton District Council has assumed that every property has a garden which can fill a substantial bin in comfort. If you disagree an appeal process is in place whereby at some time in the indeterminate future an inevitably sceptical member of staff will come and "assess your circumstances".

In the meantime, the bins clog the pavement and risk the attentions of the highway authority or becoming the focus of anti-social behaviour. Alternatively they can take pride of place in one's dwelling as an eccentric item of furniture!

Surely more common sense should have been applied and a strategy drawn up that takes account of the circumstances of everyone and not just those with substantial gardens and storage space.

It is acknowledged that the use of landfill needs to be minimised and recycling maximised, but there must be a more reasonable and imaginative way of doing this than what is being introduced here.

Selby District Council has introduced kerb-side collection of bottles and cans in some areas. Why can that not be attempted in Northallerton and gain the support of the general public instead of alienating them?

ENID MATTHEWS

The Green,

Brompton,

Northallerton.

Shop support

Sir, - I read your leading article on the Middleton Tyas village shop opening (D&S, Aug 13) with interest having just moved into the area.

We live in neighbouring Moulton and have bought a couple of shares in the co-operative in order to offer some moral and financial support. We will make a point of using it as much as possible

I must say my partner Jo and I love this part of the world, and are impressed by the enthusiasm and friendliness of the folk in not only our own village, but of those nearby

Jo is on our village committee already, and our fete was great fun! We have just had a baby (adding to the population by 0.5pc), and have been overwhelmed by the interest, love and support of all of our neighbours, to whom we say thanks for making us feel so welcome.

Can we also give a special word to all the staff in the maternity ward at the Friarage, Northallerton, who were great.

ANDY AND JO SPENCE- WOLRICH

Moulton,

Richmond.

Beer mat quest

Sir, - I collect ashtrays and beer mats from long deceased breweries. I have now 560, and my aim is to collect one from each brewery which existed.

To this end I visited Richmond and Catterick again this year, but had no luck in tracking mat or ashtray of the J W Fryer & Sons Brewery, which closed in 1956. I visited a few pubs and shops, but without success. Is there a reader who has encountered either, so that I can judge whether my quest is sensible or not?

GEOFFREY HAMMOND

The Pilgrims' School,

The Close,

Winchester SO23 9LT.

Better things to do

Sir, - On Sunday, August 15, I thought I would have a walk around Cod Beck reservoir. I got there, parked in the car park, had a walk round through all the litter and debris and burnt ashes and knocked down fences, went past a water tower which is being turned into a fortress, and waded back through all the litter to the car.

On arrival there was a £30 car park ticket for having a wheel on the grass. What is wrong? There are burglaries and car thefts every day around here and what are North Yorkshire Police doing? Nothing. They are just glorified traffic wardens, ruining people's days out.

Have they nothing better to do than persecute motorists?

K HENDERSON

Summerfield Farm Cottages,

Ingleby Cross.