Doubtful duck

The filmed report, by animal group Viva!, found ducks crammed into dirty, stinking sheds in their thousands, dead and dying birds, no water for these aquatic animals to bathe, preen or even clean themselves and disabled ducks thrashing around on their backs in distress, unable to right themselves.

Like most people, I believed Marks & Spencer expected high welfare standards from its meat suppliers - indeed, that is the main reason why many people shop there.

But sadly, almost all duck meat on sale in M&S - and all other supermarkets, shops and Chinese restaurants for that matter - comes from factory farms.

Yet another animal is being abused by the million and its misery camouflaged with phoney welfare claims. Anyone who looks at the pictures of how these pathetic animals are mistreated will know just how much weight they can give to Marks & Spencer's "strict selection criteria". Don't be fooled and don't buy duck meat.

MARITA STAITE

Bargate,

Richmond.

Cemetery solution

Sir, - I recently visited my grandparent's grave in East Cemetery. The cemetery is obviously in need of a new fence. There are signs of vandalism.

I have come up with a few ideas of how a replacement fence or wall might be financed.

It might be possible to persuade local house builders and the Darlington Building Society to donate a wall.

A wall might be paid for by the public. A fee could be charged for placing the ashes of deceased people into special recesses built into a wall. Individual plaques, metal or marble, could be placed over each recess. That would carry the name and dates of the deceased.

As an alternative memorial, simply the names of people with their dates of birth and death could be placed on an ordinary plaque on the wall. This would be rather in the manner of a war memorial.

Again a fee could be charged for this service financing the construction of the cemetery wall. Large groups could be placed on a group plaque of everyone who wanted to participate in a particular month or year.

I do not believe Darlington Council has included the cemetery in the scheme for the replacement of the fence at South Park.

NIGEL F BODDY

Solicitor

St Cuthbert's Place

Darlington.

Poor performer

Sir, - Central Government is firmly set on "reform", rather than "perform".

The last local government reorganisation separated the City of York from North Yorkshire County Council. That meant that the county lost 25pc of its taxpayers but only 3pc of its area.

Central Government contributions to local authorities are per capita although an adjustment, which is by no means adequate, is made for rural areas. This meant that the council tax per capita for the remaining North Yorkshire area had to be increased in order to maintain a reasonable service.

The latest dream is to combine Richmondshire and Hambleton. Much as I would like to see the back of the Richmondshire administration, common sense tells me that this proposal would undoubtedly bring about an even higher rate of council tax per capita, rather than producing the savings or reductions which we are all hoping for.

The population to area ratio, by combining these two councils, would become even more disproportionate than the present arrangement with the additional responsibility for highways, social services, education and library services.

It would in fact amount to a penalty tax for one of the most rural areas in Britain. Any one-tier local authority appears to be unviable if the population is less than 300,000.

Perhaps central Government ought to employ fewer politicians and more accountants. The issue is politically driven and has nothing to do with increased efficiency or accountability in local government. Rural areas will be at the mercy of the big cities, and democracy and participation in local affairs will be reduced.

One of the major problems is the budgeting procedure. Central Government grants should be based on need, with a greater emphasis on rural areas. The system of basing increases on previous budgets could not be sustained in private enterprise.

BERNARD BORMAN

Acting chairman,

Richmondshire & Hambleton Democracy Movement

Brentwood,

Leyburn.

My proud record

Sir, - I think I need to respond to the letter (D&S, Mar 5)from Coun Valerie Halton, a Conservative member of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's ruling anti-Labour coalition, in which it is claimed that I ducked controversial decisions during my period as the council's last leader.

I need to respond because I suspect that 99.9pc of your readers will be utterly baffled by her letter. Her comments actually refer to a letter sent by me to another, totally different, local paper in the Teesside area, a letter where I said I was quite prepared to bin suggestions from council officers which I - and my Labour colleagues - saw as being against the interests of local people within the borough. The fact that a suggestion made by officers that Guisborough pool could be shut as a budget saving exercise, and which emerged in a budget consultation paper put out by the coalition, shows that they do not have the same ability or strength of character to run a local council in a publicly-responsive political fashion.

I am very happy for Valerie to constantly remind people during my sabbatical period about my record of service. As the 19th century essayist and poet Thomas Carlyle who was - and this may please Valerie - a high-minded Tory in his later years, said: "Speak well of me, please do. Speak ill of me, please do. But please, please mention my name every time."

DAVID WALSH

Yeoman Street,

Skelton.