Sir, - In response to Alan Benn's letter (D&S, Apr 4), I would simply point out that the Conservative Party has been out of power since 1997.

Labour has now been in Government for six years, and what do we in North Yorkshire have to show for it? The Vale of York postmasters, postal workers and post office customers I have spoken to want to know why this Government is so determined to put the boot into local post offices.

From the beginning of this month the traditional payment of benefits in cash changed to the Universal Banking System, whereby benefits are to be paid by ACT into a bank account.

This will cost sub-postmasters up to 40pc of their income. The Government says it wishes to see local post offices survive, but it has not put forward any plans to replace the lost funds.

Furthermore, having announced a £150m a year subsidy specifically for rural post offices, I find it ominous that the Government has refused to say what will happen when the subsidy scheme expires after 2005 (conveniently just after the likely date of the next General Election).

Finally, 3,000 post office closures are planned in towns and cities under the Urban Network Reinvention Programme, which I and my Conservative colleagues voted against in Parliament last October.

Mr Benn and his colleagues in the Labour Party should listen to their colleagues on our local authorities, where concern over the issue is cross-party.

ANNE McINTOSH

MP for the Vale of York.

Cash still available

Sir, - As chairman of Postwatch Northern England - the Consumer Council for Postal Services - I read with interest your report "MP attacks pension switch" (D&S, Apr 4). I would like to emphasise that customers can still collect their pension and benefit payments in cash at post offices.

Order books and giro cheques will be phased out over the next two years but recipients can still collect their pensions and benefits in cash at a post office using a basic bank account, some current accounts or a new Post Office Card Account.

The Department for Work and Pensions, which is responsible for these changes, must ensure that customers know how they can continue to use the post office to access payments.

There is no reason why every person who currently uses the post office cannot continue to do so. It is only by using our local post offices that we can help ensure their survival.

Postwatch shares Miss McIntosh's concern over long-term plans for rural post offices beyond the three-year duration of the £450m (that';s £150m a year for three years)rural subsidy package.

We are also concerned that this subsidy may not prevent rural closures because it does not directly support the sub-postmasters' ailing businesses but rather funds Post Office Ltd's costs.

JUDITH DONOVAN

Chairman,

Postwatch Northern England.

No to plan

Sir, - I am concerned that the council is considering a planning application for four three-storey houses in Edinburgh Drive on land adjacent to the Hummersknott School playing field in Darlington.

When the council sold us our building plots, we were charged a premium because there would be an open aspect for as long as the school was in existence. When the piece of land now being considered for development was sold by auction, the council sent a representative to the sale to advise any bidder that planning permission would never be given. Ten years ago a plan for three houses was rejected by the council and again after an appeal.

The planning application has not been very well notified by the council. There was a single notice attached to a waste bin near the site, a miniscule entry in the D&S Times planning column and some, but not all, affected residents received notification.

I sincerely hope the council will honour its previous commitment to deny planning permission on this site. Residents I have spoken to feel strongly that the existing open aspect of the area should not be destroyed.

M H SHARP

Edinburgh Drive,

Darlington.

On my walk...

Sir, - I am a keen walker and very lucky to live just a few minutes walk from Newton Wood beside Roseberry Topping.

I went for such a walk with my husband round Newton Wood last Sunday. I spotted a crisp packet on the floor in the woods and picked it up, then saw some more rubbish and filled my crisp packet with it, then saw a carrier bag, put the crisp packet in that along with more rubbish along the way. Soon the carrier was full, but then we saw a builder's bag flapping about.

By the time we got home I had the builder's bag-full. The thing is we weren't even trying to do a litter pick, but still managed to get that much.

But we still had a nice walk, quite a few odd looks though as I was dragging a sack of rubbish along with me.

Kate Johnson

Newton Road,

Great Ayton.

Web site service

Sir, - Perhaps I could update the article on Hazel Brow Farm which appeared in last week's D&S Times.

As Mrs Calvert said, her old YorkshireNet website was well placed in Internet "search engines". Within hours of her request, and well before publication of your newspaper last week, we had provided a free link from her successful YorkshireNet web page to her new website.

There is a limit to the free services we can provide, but we will continue to do our best to promote Yorkshire business and tourism. We wish Mrs Calvert every success with her future marketing.

BARRY PETERS

Managing Director, YorkshireNet