08/07/2004

The budget which the assembly will have control over is £1bn, with influence over further millions. That sounds like extra power to me!

He also states that the assembly will be nothing more than a talking shop with another layer of politicians dominated by one party.

There will be only 25-30 elected members, which the people of the region will vote for, so if it is dominated by one party then it will be down to public choice. - S White, Bishop Auckland.

ONCE again Neil Herron, self-appointed leader of the "No" campaign, fails to give any alternative to the present expensive and inefficient system of regional government with its scores of unelected, unaccountable quangos (Echo, Jul 6).

Mr Herron is content that the North-East should continue to be run by hundreds of anonymous, appointed quangocrats, rather than by 25 people elected by and directly accountable to the people of the North-East.

He believes that all issues affecting our region should be decided by ministers and civil servants in London. That is precisely why the North has suffered in comparison with the south for decades.

Recent elections have shown that Labour no longer commands majority support in the region. If the people of the North-East vote to have their own regional assembly later this year, as I believe they will, it will be elected by proportional voting. This will ensure fair representation for all parts of the region and no domination by any one area. No one party will get a majority unless the people vote that way - that's democracy.

When we come to vote in the referendum, we will know what powers are on offer. Liberal Democrats are working hard in the region and in Parliament to gain greater powers for the assembly. The more powers there are, the more effective the assembly will be.

The North-East needs a single, democratic voice with the power and authority to speak for the region as a whole. Scotland, Wales and London already have theirs and have reaped the benefit. The people of the North-East deserve no less. - Chris Foote-Wood, Northern Region Liberal Democrats.

NEIL Herron states that there is no support for regional government. That's simply not true.

There is already widespread support. A recent poll (May 2004) in another newspaper showed that the region is two to one in favour of a North-East Regional Assembly.

Mr Herron also states that an assembly would be dominated by Tyneside. He should be re-christened Red Herron.

Elections will be partly by proportional representation which will provide a much more representative assembly covering all the region and none will dominate.

I trust your readers are now familiar with Mr Herron's scare tactics and will have the confidence to vote for making a difference to their region by voting yes for a regional assembly. Mr Herron offers nothing. - Richard Simpson, Burnopfield.

NEIL Herron's arguments against a regional assembly are incoherent and illogical.

He attacks politicians and political parties, but then says he is happy to be governed remotely from Westminster. It is precisely because the Westminster-based system ignores the North-East that the idea of a regional assembly is so appealing.

Those opposed to a regional assembly need to improve their arguments and tell us how they would deliver a better deal for the North-East. - Andrea Elsbury, Chester-le-Street.

SPEED CAMERAS

IVOR Evans' worries about hidden cameras (HAS, Jul 6) cannot include speed cameras.

They were originally intended to be hidden, but the outcry from the motoring lobby was such as to persuade a revision of the rules.

Speed cameras must now be prominently placed, painted in a distinctive colour, and preceded by a warning notice.

A motorist who fails to heed all this is not giving his driving the attention it deserves, and one wonders if he would pass today's driving test. - Bob Jarratt, Caldwell.

ENVIRONMENT

YOUR article (Echo, Jul 5) on the children's novel, The Pebble People Save the Day, was a little hush-hush and smacked almost of journalistic flytipping.

Our environmental problems of today certainly need exposing and highlighting in a more flamboyant way.

The involvement of children and young people is important to any agency and person concerned with those problems but it is even more important for young people - because it is about their future.

The book tries to point out things that affect the quality of life for children right now. These issues, which are as diverse as access to rural services and the quality of the environment, are also high on the list of concerns of many children and young people. - Frederick Stehr (co-author of The Pebble People Save the Day), Darlington.

CHARITY DONATIONS

APPARENTLY Prince Charles has raised a large amount for worthy causes. We have also been informed that Sunderland gives more to charities relative to other towns.

One suspects that many low-income pensioners give more in percentage terms than HRH gives from his own pocket.

It is noted that he has received this year an extra 20 per cent in income.

Perhaps the Honours List should have its pyramid turned upside down to cater for people who really give. - George Hayes, Richmond.

TELEVISION

WELL done, Bruce Forsyth, for standing up and speaking out for us prudes (Echo, June 30).

Prude is a term usually flung at someone to belittle and deride them for speaking out against swearing and other kinds of filth that is thrust at us under the term 'entertainment'.

It is not clever, moral or decent in a civilised society to pepper your speech with swear words. Nor is it correct to flaunt yourself sexually in public.

Being offended by such behaviour, be it in the street, on television or on the stage, is nothing to be ashamed of. It goes against today's boorish, loutish, uncouth fashion, yes, but it is not wrong. Television should clean up and become more prudish. We don't need filth. There's enough of that in our sewers. - EA Moralee, Billingham.

COUNCIL TAX

MUCH was made of the fact that the council tax would have to be raised to pay for the fire service pay rise in 2003.

Well it was raised but, to date, fire service personnel have received very little of the agreed rise with the remainder, at the moment, looking highly unlikely.

So what has happened to that extra money? Where has it gone? Is it in some council account gaining interest? And should the remaining pay rise not materialise, will we all be refunded our money (with interest) and our council tax lowered? I think we all know the answer, don't we?

The reason I ask is, as a serving firefighter, I feel I may be owed my own money. - Ian Welch, Durham.