I WAS intrigued by Mrs Ralph's complaint (HAS, Aug 20) quoting the suffering of the Jews during the Second World War.

Quite the contrary madam, reminding the world about one of the world's worst atrocities upon those who appear to be among the most persecuted people in this world is quite justified.

True, the Palestinian people were not responsible for that time. Many themselves are immigrants into the land known today as Palestine. However, the Grand Islamic Mufti of Jerusalem of that time, Jaj Amin el-Husseini, was thick as thieves with the Nazis and he and Iraq were collaborators with Hitler's regime. Husseini even wanted a "Holy War" against Britain whilst staying in Iraq 1941. One nephew of the "Palestinian" Mufti Nazi collaborator was quite close to him and today walks in the old man's shoes. His name... Rahman Abdul Rauf el-Qudwa el-Husseini, better known by his pseudonym of Yasser Arafat. - Bethany Megan Robinson, Darlington.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLY

THE Tory party must be in terminal decline if it is so desperate for votes that it copies the UKIP in seeking to deny the people of the North-East the right to vote for our own elected assembly.

Hypocritical Tories have been happy to take their seats in the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly (all elected thanks to proportional voting) despite being opposed to those bodies. No doubt local members of the Hypocrite Party will do the same if and when we vote for our own regional assembly.

It is disturbing to see Tory MP Peter Atkinson try to outbid the UKIP by claiming that "decisions now made in Berwick will be made in Durham". This is completely untrue. A regional assembly will take control of existing, unelected regional quangos. It will not take any powers from local government. Nor will a regional assembly be "under the control of Europe", another false UKIP claim. An assembly will be set up, first by legislation in our own parliament, and then by the votes of the people of the North-East. - Chris Foote-Wood, President, Northern Region Liberal Democrats.

JOHN Prescott's recent statement about the Government's intention to reform the planning system takes some account of the widespread opposition to its original proposals in the Green Paper published last December.

His emphasis on urban renewal and the need for much more affordable housing is welcome, but his persistence with the proposal to abolish County Structure Plans - despite overwhelming opposition on the part of those who responded to his Department's questionnaire - should worry us here in North Yorkshire. We see a link between this and his desire for a regional tier of government: all local authorities within the new regional structure must be "unitary" authorities, producing a single plan consistent with the broad strategic plan laid down by the regional authority.

No longer would counties like Hampshire or Buckinghamshire be able to resist the imposition of huge housing targets in a South-East regional plan. And no longer would the North Yorkshire County Council be able to decide how many new houses were needed in our county within the next five or ten years, and (in discussion with district councils) where they should be built.

If such a scheme were implemented here, a distant regional authority, dominated by the electors in the cities of South and West Yorkshire, would be able to set housing targets for North Yorkshire districts.

A crucial element of democratic control over development in our own neighbourhoods, currently exercised by elected county councillors, would be lost.

Whatever we may think about the advantages of regional government we should (and will) fight hard to ensure that in one way or other local communities continue to have an effective voice in the planning of their own town and countryside. - John Farquhar, Council for the Protection of Rural England, North Yorkshire.

SEX OFFENDERS

IN July 2000, a campaign was launched by a Sunday national newspaper for "Sarah's Law" after the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne. Since the death of Sarah Payne, very few changes have been made within the laws concerning the abduction of children by perverts.

At that time top police officers said the public could not be trusted with details of child sex offenders, for fear of vigilantes. It's every parent's right to information about child sex offenders and if they reside near them. How long will parents have to wait before this government gives "Sarah's Law" its full backing? The welfare of children should be given priority over the rights of perverts.

Home Secretary David Blunkett should act at once and give all child abductors/abusers and murderers the sentence they deserve - life imprisonment. That's the only way to treat perverts who prey on innocent children. - J Amos, Willington.

WHY do we not punish sex offenders as some countries do? That is, castrate them if they have ravished and murdered little children. It would do them a favour because they would not have the ability to rape kids and probably would not want to with their genitals removed. At present, with four meals a day, laundry provided and free television there is no real punishment to deter them from re-offending when released. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

DARLINGTON FC

WHY have Darlington Football Club put up their admission prices to £13? The chairman said that when the new stadium eventually opens, he will only charge a tenner for entry. Then why are the new prices at old Feethams so high for this season? He has stated that no cash signings will be made for new players while we are in the Third Division, so the increase must be for Paul Gascoigne's wages when he becomes another huge signing for the Quakers.

I no longer trust the club as it had made too many undelivered promises which always turn out to be pie in the sky. I am honestly thinking of making the short train journey to start watching York City. I am sick of the nonsense that now surrounds Darlington Football Club. - Stephen Bellworthy, Darlington.