Hear All Sides

CHARITY TREK

I'M going back to Darkest Peru! However, I'm not just going to see my Aunt Lucy in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima because I'm also going to support my favourite charity, Action Research, which is organising a trek to the lost city of Machu Picchu.

I realise I'm going to have to walk a long way on the Inca Trail to get there, so I shall be taking lots of marmalade sandwiches to keep me going.

When I do the Trek I hope to raise lots of money for Action Research, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary of pioneering medical research in 2002.

I was just wondering if any readers of The Northern Echo would like to come with me?

As one of 50 trekkers, we'll walk for six to eight hours per day through dense cloud forest, sub-tropical vegetation and many Inca ruins before reaching the lost city of Machu Picchu - a sight you will never forget. We'll camp beneath the stars and witness spectacular wildlife, including condors and eagles.

The trek takes place between October 5-14, 2002. Further information is available by phoning the Action Research Event Hotline on (01403) 327477 or by visiting their website at www.actionresearch.co.uk. - Paddington Bear.

NORTHERN IRELAND

IN his letter about Northern Ireland (HAS, Nov 8) Ernie Reynolds tells us that, in 1922, the Protestants were marching with fixed bayonets against the Catholics. They have continued to do so and that is the very reason why the IRA was reincarnated to defend the unarmed Catholics during the recent troubles and is also the reason why the IRA has been so reluctant to disarm, since the Unionists still have their weapons.

He also reminds us that the names of the present Ulster leaders are inherited from their English and Scottish ancestors. This is true, because Ulster was colonised from the mainland in order to retain a voting majority.

I was puzzled by his question: "If it is true that there will never be a united Ireland, then how can these islands off the coast of Europe unite or otherwise join a united Europe?"

This is gobbledegook. If he means can Ireland join the European Union, the answer is yes, it already has. - F Foster, Thornley.

HOUSE OF LORDS

THE removal of the hereditary peers is well overdue, but there is no point in changing one system of cronyism for another.

The House of Lords is an anachronism which should be scrapped and, if there is to be a second chamber, it should have members elected by the people and all people who are allowed to vote should be made to by law so that there can be less misuse of these chambers and the power they hold. - John Young, Crook.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

WHY does your correspondent W Local (HAS, Nov 17) want a Royal Commission to decide how we should be governed? Surely we should decide that for ourselves. Surely a single body, elected by the people of the North-East, is better than 70 unelected quango boards, which is what we have now.

Jim Tague wants "business-minded people" to run the region. But who appoints these people, who appoints the appointees, and to whom are they all responsible? How can we guard against nepotism and cronyism, and how can we remove these people if they do a bad job?

At present, we have no control over these highly-paid quangocrats. Once appointed, they can do what they like.

We believe that all these 70 regional quangos should be called to account by a Regional Assembly, elected by and responsible to the people of the North-East.

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London all have their own elected bodies, why not the North-East?

But it will not happen unless the public votes for it in a referendum. That's democracy. - Coun Chris Foote-Wood, President, Northern Region Liberal Democrats

FLOODING

THE Government's response to flooding is not "piecemeal, short-term and inadequate" (Echo, Nov 9) and it is wrong to say that the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has said it is.

The author of the ICE report, Learning To Live With Rivers, Professor George Fleming, has stated quite clearly that he does not recognise this description and it does not appear in the report.

In fact, I commissioned the report as part of the Government's on-going commitment to improve flood defences. It commends the important work we have done so far - and in particular our investment in better flood warning systems and our new whole-area catchment studies.

The report makes a number of recommendations including significantly increased funding, and they will be considered carefully.

Funding on capital investment has already been increased by 50 per cent by the Government and this year the total spending on flood and coastal defences will be £400m.

Many people affected by last year's floods have now had their defences repaired to a better standard and many more will get new schemes next year.

The report points out that, whilst we can manage flooding, we can never totally prevent it.

The Government is determined to reduce risk, however, and this latest report is an important contribution to the best way to do that. - Elliot Morley MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Dept for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.