LOCAL GOVERNMENT: I HAVE served under the "committee system" where every councillor had a vote after listening to presentations made by senior officers.

The new "cabinet system" puts power in the hands of a few. It delivers a poor service at a higher cost to council tax payers.

After the May local elections, Sedgefield Borough Labour group increased its cabinet from seven to nine Labour councillors. They refused to make the cabinet proportionate and allow two opposition members on it. Yet there are now 15 opposition members serving on the council.

The Government should legislate to make proportional representation on cabinets compulsory.

Sedgefield Borough Council has had the highest D-Band council taxes in England, at a time when several local factories have closed or reduced their work force. Seventeen wards in the Sedgefield Borough Council area suffer from social deprivation.

In future, Sedgefield Borough Council should concentrate on improving services such as housing repairs and environmental services, rather than spending vast sums of money on projects such as the Community Force. Since they were introduced ten years ago, anti social behaviour has increased. - Councillor Ben Ord, Lib-Dem Group Leader, Sedgefield Borough Council.

SHIPS CONTRACT

BILL Clinton wouldn't let the Ghost Fleet ships go to a third world country because of what they contained.

He also wouldn't sanction their break-up in the United States for the same reason.

But I've not yet seen any comment about them coming to England.

People talk about the chance of 200 jobs. But we have lost more than that on a monthly basis over the last 12 months.

Let the States keep the dirty work, send us the clean work and we won't complain. - P Brown, Trimdon Village.

WATER SUPPLIES

IF a terrorist tried to poison our water supply there would rightly be much "to do".

But our Government has just shoved through a bill on fluoridation of our water.

This proposed addition is far different from naturally occurring fluoride, being a poison just less than lead or arsenic. Most European countries have abandoned this dubious practice.

And now there looks like a local hoo-ha about to happen, about possible leaks from old ships from America.

It looks like we don't need the threat of a toxic armada from abroad. It is happening here through Government legislation. - FM Atkinson, Shincliffe.

IRAQ

IT is becoming clear every time you hear President Bush speak, that the war against Iraq has not been about weapons of mass destruction. None have been found.

Iraq officials reveal that nine suspects in custody had admitted having ties with Osama bin Laden's al Qaida network, the perpetrators of the September 11 Twin Towers attack in New York.

Which is the next Arab country on the list of our warlords - George Bush and Tony Blair - to attack and root out bin Laden's terrorists? - A St Julien, Durham.

EDUCATION

TONY Blair was elected in 1997 on the slogan "Education, Education, Education."

However, what we are seeing is not only an unfulfilled promise but also a programme which could possibly see the closure of more than 20 primary schools and two comprehensives in County Durham.

In addition, there are plans afoot for mergers involving a possible 90 plus schools in the county.

The lame reason for these closures and mergers are a few surplus places which will allegedly cost a meagre £150 per vacant place a year. It costs more than this a week to keep an asylum seeker.

Perhaps if Mr Blair and his Government got their priorities right we might be able to afford to keep our schools open and improve the standard of our children's education.

Closing these schools will further rip the heart out of once cheery communities which have already lost post offices, train stations, swimming pools and traditional industries. - T Agnew, Darlington.

MOTORING

YOU report (Echo, Aug 22) on a Government investigation into the number of drivers who are not covered by insurance as required by law.

A few days ago you reported on an accident in which an elderly gentleman was severely injured by such a driver who did not even have a driving licence.

In what way can the injured party be compensated for the injuries sustained in such a case?

Your readers might be interested in how this problem is treated in Ontario, Canada where I lived for many years.

A fund was set up by the provincial government from a small surcharge to all vehicle taxation, known as Unsatisfied Judgement Fund.

A few years ago a small boy, the son of a friend, was knocked from his bicycle and badly injured by a motorist who even failed to stop and was never ever traced. This case was dealt with by the fund and the family were duly compensated.

I believe this to be an admirable scheme - all motorists are made responsible for the idiotic few and all motorists have an interest in seeing that uninsured drivers are kept off our roads. - Willis Collinson, Durham City.