Letterrs

AS one of the churchwardens of All Saints' Church, Preston-on-Tees, I would like to congratulate you on your story and picture of our Easter holiday club (Echo, Apr 14).

It was really good to see you printing such a positive story of our growing work in the community. We work with other churches in many ways, but this Easter holiday club, as in a number of previous years, was here, and not at Egglescliffe Parish Church. - J Atkinson, Eaglescliffe.

HOSPITAL MATRONS

GOOD news from the Secretary of State for Health when he announced the possible return of the hospital matrons.

Those stalwarts should never have been replaced by NHS managers. - EM Welsh, Ferryhill.

FUEL PRICES

FOLLOWING all the Government talk about a reduction in fuel prices by 2p per litre following the recent Budget and the introduction of ultra low sulphur fuel, I now find this fuel at my local garage at 2p per litre more than the old unleaded price. So much for this Labour Government's help for the motorist, or are the oil companies profiteering again? Perhaps multi-million pound profits are not enough. - T Jobling, Durham City.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

WESTMINSTER really doesn't like giving up power, does it?

New Labour's latest proposals for English regional devolution are really disheartening for supporters of genuine regional government.

It's almost as if Labour is trying to scupper the whole concept by putting forward just one wholly unacceptable option.

In the North-East, a regional "parliament" of 35 members, only some of whom are directly elected, would be dominated by Tyne and Wear and Teesside, with no real look-in for the rural parts of our region. And yet, we are advised that the rural county councils are likely to be abolished to make room for this "new" tier of government.

Except that it is not a new tier of government, we already have de facto regional government through GONE, One NorthEast, the Regional Assembly and many other regional quangos.

There is an evident need for a directly-elected regional assembly to make this de facto regional government democratically accountable, but that assembly should be drawing down powers from central government, not replacing local government.

A referendum on directly elected regional government for the North-East is long overdue. But, when we finally get one, it should offer us an assembly which is genuinely representative of the whole region with powers devolved from central government, not a committee delivering central government policy. - N Best, Green Party Spokesperson on Regional Affairs, PPC for Wansbeck.

THE MONARCHY

I WAS appalled to hear cries for the abolition of our monarchy following the recent scandal with the Countess of Wessex. Such calls came with two main arguments - that there is no need for a monarch in the 21st Century and that public figures shouldn't be involved in these scandals. How can these self-righteous people criticise the trials and tribulations of a family? It is difficult to see how such things as divorce can be scowled upon nowadays when it is around us all the time, a part of everyday life. And then, in another sense, people will pick fault with the spectacular formalities of the Royal family. Can they not make up their mind one way or another and get over their blatant jealousy of our royal institution? On the argument of the pointlessness of the monarchy, these leftists would be the first to complain if a republic of Britain was taken over by a dictatorship. A monarch is the only proven effective way of protecting against a dictator. Most nations have in the past been under a dictatorship - none with a constitutional monarch like our own, our safeguard against such a fate. So can I ask Britain's anti-monarchy cronies to keep quiet and let the three quarters of our population have their own way and keep our magnificent parliamentary system as it is? - J Michael, Darlington.

DUNKIRK

WILLIS Collinson is right to remind us of the cost to those involved in the events at Dunkirk in 1940 (HAS, Apr 13). However, it would be wrong to belittle the response of many of his fellow countrymen who, being unable to play any other part in this action, turned to prayer.

As for the fight against disease, history shows that men and women who were both scientist and Christian have produced many of the advances in medicine. There is no conflict here. Remember too that "science" produced the bombs and bullets that were fired at Dunkirk. So then science itself is neither the problem nor the solution; these both lie within the hearts of humankind. - R Morris, Billy Row, Crook.

AGRICULTURE

BRITISH holidaymakers head abroad during the foot-and-mouth crisis, not only for the sunshine, but also for cheaper basic accommodation.

UK hoteliers have priced the average Briton out of their market. If compensation is to be paid it should be based on loss of profit only and no doubt the taxman will be very interested in such disclosures.

Subsidies have resulted in the overproduction of goods and services, and meat is a classic example of such policies.

The food mountains have not gone away despite valiant efforts to destroy them. Alterations in the Common Agricultural Policies (CAP) are not likely to benefit over-producers hence the panic, but the one-man farmer is the hardest hit in the present crisis.

Compensation could be a blessing for those with cash-flow problems in this glutted market. There could be a viable alternative to monetary economies, but the road to enlightenment is long and we have far to go. - M Jordan, Newton Aycliffe.