PUBLIC LIBRARIES

LET'S consider these facts. Thirty-five-million adults and children are members of UK public libraries and borrow 420 million books, CDs and other items each year. Public libraries literally are the people's universities.

For library users, library workers hold the keys to a vast world of knowledge. Unison's library workers in more than 3,000 libraries are working to open new services and bring the world of books to new communities, refugees, ethnic minority groups and homeless people, among them.

They are developing reading groups, organising book festivals and expanding web access. And they are winning awards for their dedicated work.

But library staff are responding to the growing demand for books and services in the face of diminishing resources - local authorities spend less than one per cent of their budgets on library services.

Unison wants to make sure public libraries continue to be able to provide quality services for all. And that the dedicated role of library staff is recognised. But that will require significant investment from central, regional and local government.

Library services are the most popular of all council services. I urge local councillors to appreciate the special role that public libraries play and to listen to library staff and their determination to deliver a world class library service. - Dave Prentis, Unison General Secretary.

WAR ON TERRORISM

THE discussions between the Prime Minister and US Vice President Dick Cheney were very welcome, as was Mr Cheney's tour of Middle Eastern countries.

Saddam Hussein's ability to deploy biological and chemical weapons is a real world threat, now highlighted by his refusal to admit United Nations weapons inspectors.

Countering that threat, without risking a wider Middle Eastern conflict, requires at the very least that President Bush sustains, along with Great Britain, the international coalition of support which was created after the September 11 attacks. President Bush should obtain a new mandate from the United Nations before he considers launching any attacks on Iraq.

International support is necessary both militarily and strategically - there is no guarantee that the UN air power, special forces and local rebels could take out all Iraq's evil weapons of mass destruction and certainly not Saddam Hussein himself.

The United States and the United Kingdom also need to be satisfied that Russia and China would be supportive and that no country would exploit a potentially chaotic post-Saddam Iraq. Therefore, coalition building really is vital and it is going to be extremely difficult, but at least Mr Cheney and Mr Blair are talking - let's hope they get it right. - Councillor Ken Walker, Leader, Middlesbrough Council.

IF we take seriously the views of D Lythe (HAS, Mar 4) we'll have wars for ever more.

The "revenge politics" which he shares with the present President of the United States is a recipe for disaster, leading as always, to the deaths of innocent men, women and children.

We now have Mr Bush talking about "bombing Iraq" as if he were finishing off what his father and John Major began in 1991, killing and maiming thousands of Iraqi people and stirring up intense hatred against Britain and America.

The "war against terrorism" engaged in by George W Bush, using the methods of terrorism, is an affront to all civilised people, Christian and otherwise.

Thank God you have writers like Pete Winstanley contributing to HAS, a breath of fresh air in an otherwise barren wilderness of words. - Rev John Stephenson, East Herrington.

CLARE Short is as usual sitting on the fence when she states: "We need to deal with the problem of Saddam Hussein, but we don't need to inflict further suffering on the people of Iraq." Are we not inflicting suffering by ignoring what has to be faced?

To send in the weapons inspectors without substance is a waste of time. Saddam Hussein knows that. Unfortunately, Clare Short and her ilk don't. - J Young, Crook.

NO doubt Tony Blair is going to the US to discuss with President Bush the destruction of Iraq from 35,000ft, bringing about many more deaths of innocent civilians.

It is time the EC told these two dangerous men to stop playing God.

The recent imposition of tariffs on imports of steel to the US shows that Bush will stop at nothing to maintain the US economy above all else.

Nothing wrong with that, you may say, and Blair should be doing the same thing, only he can't because we are in the EC.

When is Blair going to turn his eyes eastwards where our future belongs?

Iraq is a different kettle of fish to Afghanistan. Despite Saddam Hussein's nasty reputation, Iraq has quite a few allies, notably Russia and China.

And of course, Iraq is the hub of oil supplies from the Middle East and you can rest assured the US will bomb people rather than oil wells and refineries, no doubt hoping to have them controlled by western-friendly Iraqi politicians.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is bad enough, but to involve Iraq will be a disaster.

The sooner Bush and Blair reflect on the consequences of their actions the better it will be for all of us. - H Pender, Darlington.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

MR Sagar's eulogy to regional assemblies (HAS, March 12) skillfully avoids any mention as to the true, intended purpose behind the whole process of devolution.

It has long been decreed by the European Union that Britain is to become a "country of regions", 12 in fact. The process of devolution began by this Government in 1997 is portrayed as bringing greater autonomy and the de-centralisation of power.

The truth is, this process is intended to bring about the abolition of Britain as a sovereign, constitutional democracy.

Ponder this. If regional assemblies create a greater sense of local democracy and accountability, that is ideal. How then can it be, that those who propose this process, also support (invariably) the surrender of the UK and constitutional integration within the EU?

We, as a nation, would be stripped bare of our rights of self determination, to be ruled by a centralised, unelected, unaccountable, corrupt bureaucracy. Of course, the two concepts are incongruous.

This, however, does not prevent the Government (backed 100 per cent by the Lib-Dems and elements of the Conservative party), pushing both concepts in parallel.

Smell a rat? You should do. - Dave Pascoe, Press Office, Teesside Branch, UK Independence Party.

HEALTH SERVICE

AS long ago as 1945, I wrote from the Western Desert in North Africa authorising my father to cast, by proxy, my first vote, in that General Election.

My main interest was the promise by Nye Bevan for a National Health Service. We achieved that, and the best government in history, the envy of the world.

I don't care who is responsible but, over the years, health has wrongly become a political football. Now in my eighties, I still give my support to the NHS.

After years of active life, a life fairly free of need for medical care, thrombosis forced me to have my leg amputated, which has caused a year in and out of various local hospitals.

In 2001, at the time of losing my leg and my mobility, I did complain of inadequate heating and bad ventilation and, what to me, was inferior food in University Hospital, North Durham (Dryburn). Since then I have just come out of the same hospital after operations on my bladder and prostate.

Again I don't care who is responsible, none of my former complaints still applies. The improvement is striking. Now, who says that we auld codgers are ignored?

What I never complained of before, and still do not, is the dedication and care of the doctors, nurses, etc, which is outstanding.

Having been treated in Shotley Bridge, Freemans and South Moor Hospital, I can give the same commendation to these regional havens.

Thanks to all these people doing a splendid job and God bless you all. - M Quinn, Stanley