Hear All Sides: Alderman Leach School

On the face of it, that looks like a huge majority in favour and that those people in opposition are in the minority.

Now let's look at the real story. Over 6,000 letters were sent to everyone in the area. But there were only 283 responses received (4.7 per cent - paltry by any standards) and of those, 180 were from parents at the school (three per cent).

Around 70 per cent of those were in favour - 126, less than 50 per cent of the total school roll.

So the grand total of support raised by the consultation was a whopping 2.1 per cent.

I've always been told that you can make statistics say anything you want and I think I've just proved that, don't you?

Another disturbing fact is that, according to the date on the questionnaire, the consultation was not supposed to end until October 10, 2002, so how come the result was being trumpeted in the first editions of The Northern Echo on.... October 10, 2002.

So come on Darlington LEA, play fair, do not make misleading claims to get headlines. - Mrs CM Kane, Darlington.

CARE HOMES

I WRITE in response to the article about Stoneleigh Care Home (Echo, Oct 11).

If Councillor Armstrong's comments are accurately reported, then what I find bizarre (to use his words) is that someone with such views about "procedural abuse of human rights" is allowed anywhere near a council chamber, let alone is a member of the council scrutiny committee.

Secondly, Andrew North's comment: "as far as we are aware residents... are happy" begs the question what if they weren't happy?

In my experience letters, petitions and personal representations are routinely ignored. - MJ Costello, Durham.

PARKING

MY husband and I have resided for 35 years in the Hawthorn Terrace area of Durham City and are now both retired.

Because this area has not yet been included in the Durham County Council's Parking Control Scheme, we consider that the quality of our lives continues to deteriorate.

We feel are living in a car park.

Vehicles are constantly cruising the area searching for parking spaces. Because the area is made up of cul-de-sacs, vehicles entering these streets and finding no space, reverse out into Hawthorn Terrace.

There are sufficient cars owned by residents to justify some space designated "permit only" parking, as provided for every other area within the parking scheme.

Durham County Council should acknowledge this fact and rethink their proposals for our neighbourhood.

The residents have twice voted "no" to the council's parking proposal, not because we wanted to be left out but because we want to be offered a more suitable scheme. - Name and address supplied.

INDUSTRY

JIM Tague and Aled Jones (HAS, Oct 16) bemoan the effects of free-market capitalism and blame the Labour Government for the decisions of multi-national corporations.

People do appreciate that the Tories are trying to distance themselves from their Thatcherite past and going for a re-brand as 'the caring party'.

However, the reality is that Tory and Labour Governments have sought foreign investment through having the least restrictions on a 'flexible' labour market.

Jobs are bound to come and go more quickly now we are in direct competition with the Czech Republic and China, where workers are paid peanuts.

Chris Williamson, representing Darlington Small Businesses, points out that individual small companies are creating more jobs overall without receiving millions in Government grants.

I support improving workers' job security rights and dramatically increasing government support for small businesses.

At the same time we need to work, through the World Trade Organisation and the UN's International Labour Organisation, to improve the living standards of foreign workers. This would provide both fairer competition and a bigger market for our exports.

Trade protectionism was a disaster leading to the Great Depression and the Second World War. We need to learn from history. - Stuart Hill, Darlington.

IF companies like Black & Decker can shut down their factories in this country and move to where labour is cheaper, then it makes financial sense to do so and it will increase their profits.

There seems to be far fewer penalties in this country for firms that move out than in other European states, so why does the Government not take action?

If Black & Decker, Blue Circle and Weardale Steel move out and then produce lawnmowers, cement and steel at a cheaper price because of paying lower wages, why does the Government not impose a windfall profits tax on these imports?

Of course, it may not do much good now, but it could deter other companies from following suit.

Wages in America are far in excess of what is paid in this country but any firm moving from America to a lower wage country knows what will happen to any of its products which it exports to the US. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

LITTER

MY husband and I recently enjoyed a touring holiday in the North-East. It was a pleasure to see the lovely scenery now that the collieries no longer scar the countryside.

How sad then to see this in turn being spoilt by the amount of litter.

I am afraid the increasing squalor was worse in Durham towns and villages - eg Seaham, Easington, Horden and Hartlepool - than in Northumberland or North Yorkshire. At least here we did see council workers collecting rubbish in sacks.

I am sure we aren't the only people to notice the problem. - GF Grottick, Surrey.