FARMING

THE latest crisis of foot-and-mouth disease to hit the farming industry is just one in a long line of disasters in recent years, and will probably not be the last.

I, like many people, am saddened at the way farming has turned in the last 20 years, and this is in part due to farming practices in this country but also in part due to the demands made by Europe.

What seems to be missing in the current debate is any sensitivity towards the farm animals themselves. They are the ones that will suffer most in the end; the farmers may suffer economically, but will somehow survive and move on, albeit in a different industry.

One of the priorities must be to re-introduce more abattoirs around the country, so that our animals no longer need to travel such long distances for slaughter. We must also look at the practice of long-distance transport across Europe. There is no reason why meat should not be slaughtered locally and then the carcasses transported.

We are constantly being told that we, as consumers, are demanding cheaper meat, and yet nearly everyone I talk to says how disgusted they are by the intensive factory farming practices currently in place. I would urge people to shop sensitively, support local producers and write to their MP and MEPs on these issues. There can be change, and there should be change, and if enough people act we can make it happen. - Kathy Barley, Darlington.

THE letter from Paul Kane (HAS Feb 27) says it all.

Last weekend, I was in the Richmond market place. Despite the requests from groups representing countryside pursuits - to avoid entering farming areas - there were people obviously preparing to walk in the area.

There were also vehicles around carrying mountain bikes, so clearly prepared to move into the surrounding countryside.

A little later on in a local pub, I asked a couple dressed for walking if they were aware of the foot-and-mouth problems? They looked at me as if I had arrived from the moon.

Do these people not realise the problems our farmers, and, the people who depend on the farmers are facing at the moment? Are they stupid, or, just plain selfish and ignorant?

It is in the interest of all that, for the time being, no added worries are piled on to those who are fighting to contain and eradicate this disease.

The attitude of those outside the farming fraternity should be, if I don't need to be there, and sport and leisure are not reasons for being there at the moment, then stay away. Don't add to the present problems through ignorance. - B Robertshaw, Richmond.

WHATEVER is happening to our poor farmers, reeling under yet another blow?

All the laws and rules that are imposed on our country by Brussels have a devastating effect and are wrong.

To have to transport animals hundreds of miles to slaughter is ludicrous.

We never have a government which will look after the people of Britain, not a lot of sheep who do whatever they are told by Brussels.

If we don't get out of Europe we will not have a country left. - A Parkin, Bishop Auckland.

PENSIONERS

The Government has unveiled significant increases for Britain's 11 million pensioners. From April, pensions will rise by £5 a week for singles and £8 for couples - more than the rate of inflation. The winter fuel payment has been increased to £200 and the Minimum Income Guarantee for the least well off is to rise to £92 a week; more than had the earnings link been restored.

The MIG makes a single pensioner £728 better off than in 1997, 105,000 older people in the region are getting this and 20,000 should be receiving it. That's why the Government and local authorities are running a pro-active 'Take-up" campaign throughout the country. In 2003, the "pensioners tax credit" will boost the incomes of those with modest work, pensions and savings.

By April this year, one million pensioners will, compared with 1997, be £20 a week better off. The Government is working towards giving the region's pensioners a fairer share of the nation's wealth. - Stephen Lambert, Communications Officer, Newcastle Central Labour.

BADGERS

I WOULD just like to point out that the Durham County Badger Group, a member of the National Federation of Badger Groups, is also a supporter of the ongoing National Anti-Snaring campaign.

There have certainly been incidents within County Durham where badgers have been found injured and exhausted in snares. A further problem is that, should the badger be lucky enough to be found in time and does recover sufficiently to return to the wild, it must of necessity be released in its own home territory at precisely the spot where it was found.

To release it elsewhere could mean that it would be attacked by another badger.

In an area where snares are regularly set - and they are sometimes found very close to badger paths - there is always the risk that this same badger could go on to be snared a second time. - Janice Brabban, Secretary, Durham County Badger Group, Darlington.

CAPITALISM

WILLIS Collinson (HAS, Feb 22) questions Peter Mullen's assertion that 40 million were killed during the Russian Revolution.

Whatever the actual figures, there can be little doubt that Stalin presided over a shameful explosion of murderous barbarity.

Except when it is tempered by the ideals of democratic socialism, global capitalism is a system which makes a virtue of greed and selfishness and demands that we should do what is profitable, not what is right or necessary.

The result is that in some parts of the world, most people live comfortably, a few live in obscene luxury; and wastefulness and rampant consumerism prevail.

Elsewhere, 40 million children will die every four years through starvation and poverty.

Peter Mullen suggests that those who supported communism in principle, only to be disappointed by the reality, should now apologise. Will he now apologise for his staunch support for capitalism? - Pete Winstanley, Chester-le-Street.

DRYBURN HOSPITAL

YOU report (Echo, Feb 28) on the difficulties predicted for emergency ambulances in access to the A& E Department at the new Dryburn Hospital caused by its being built too close to listed Dryburn House. This clearly shows that either (a) the planners and managers in the North Durham Health Care Trust and in the North-East Ambulance Service NHS Trust were unbelievably stupid, or (b) they were fully conscious of the problem but calculated that permission would be given to knock down the listed building once lives were seen to be at risk.

I do not believe that all those planners and managers can have been that stupid, so I am drawn to the conclusion that (b) is true. - John Hawgood, Durham.

RAIL TRAVEL

RAIL travellers will now have to wait even longer before the preferred bidder is announced for the East Coast main line because of doubts concerning the line and its running capacity.

During the five years GNER has held the franchise, no sign of investment has been forthcoming and, only if it is chosen again, is it prepared to invest and upgrade.

The problems of rail travel in Britain were obvious from the beginning of privatisation. Therefore, why, after far more money was given to companies such as GNER than British Rail ever had, has there been five years of painting over the cracks and no sign of new train sets?

If Railtrack does not increase the running capacity on the line what is GNER's future investment policy? - CJ Blair, Darlington.