ANIMAL WELFARE

AIDAN Ruff is right to demand the same standards of food safety and animal welfare throughout Europe, and a ban on sub-standard imports (HAS, Oct 6).

Until this is achieved, we should insist on buying British farm produce.

But we must also take an interest in exactly how and where the animals we eat are raised, fed and slaughtered. This information is readily available from farmers' markets and butchers' shops.

It must not be forgotten that the new disease of BSE was created by bad practice within the British food industry, which in some respects seems slow to learn.

Like many others, I was under the impression that the vile practice of using slaughterhouse waste in the production of cattle feed was now outlawed, but The Northern Echo reports (Sept 25) that blood is still being used, albeit with an "informal" ban on bovine blood.

Cows are herbivores and their food should be of cereal or vegetable origin. To feed them on anything else is unnatural and dangerous, especially in view of recent research indicating that BSE-type diseases can potentially infect any species of farm animal and that these diseases can be transmitted by blood transfusion. - Pete Winstanley, Chester-le-Street.

THE report on the BSE crisis has been published and the facts are a damning indictment of the then Tory Government.

For five years they prevaricated and put the health of the nation at risk.

Quite apart from their other indiscretions, the BSE scandal alone should exclude the Tories from government for many years to come, if not for all time.

A conservative estimate of the possible deaths in the future from CJD is put at many thousands.

When it comes to putting your X on the ballot paper just remember who put profits for the meat industry before the health of the nation. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

SMOKING

SIMON Clark, of the tobacco industry-funded organisation Forest, tries to pour scorn on recent research showing that passive smoking can lead to delayed conception for women trying to start a family (HAS, Oct 4). Forest does not produce any scientific basis for its denials. Instead it resorts to snide remarks and jibes like "hysteria".

Readers should be aware that this finding has been published by Bristol University after carrying out detailed research into fertility in which 8,500 couples were studied over a period of several years. The totally clear-cut results leave no room for serious doubt.

Forest is doing what its paymasters, the tobacco industry, has done for years: distort the truth, and create doubt and confusion where none exists. This is an immensely serious matter for thousands of couples and demonstrates once again the importance of protecting non smokers from passive smoke in the workplace and public places. A Health and Safety Executive Code of Practice to achieve this protection is being considered by the Government at this moment. Let us hope the Government supports this vital measure. - Dr Richard Edwards, Chairman Northern Ash, Newcastle.

THE EURO

IF a small country like Denmark can reject the euro and have the confidence to maintain its own currency, why should Britain, the fourth largest economy in the world, allow itself to drift into economic and monetary union?

The Danish referendum result has turned on its head the notion that the euro is "inevitable". For supporters of the euro, the inevitability argument has always been a substitute for real debate. But after the Danish no vote, they will have to start putting forward real arguments.

Denmark is already a member of the ERM and has far closer ties with Euroland. But despite these stronger economic ties, the Danes were less than convinced that there would be economic advantages in abolishing the krone and the euro-lobby's scare tactics about job losses and loss of influence failed to make an impact.

The euro-lobby in Britain would face similar difficulties. Its strategy depends on persuading people that replacing the pound with the euro would be good for the economy and good for jobs.

But three quarters of businesses and the majority of economists in Britain are against them.

The scare stories are starting to wear thin. They told us that we would lose jobs and lose investment unless we joined the euro. But instead, unemployment has continued to fall and investment into the UK has continued to rise.

We have the lowest unemployment for 20 years and the lowest inflation for 30 years. It remains a mystery why any Government would want to put this successful track record at risk by joining the euro. - John Elliott, Chairman, Business for Sterling North East.

AIRGUNS

HARRY Mead showed real ingenuity in combining an attack on the Royal Family and airgun shooters (Echo, Oct 11). However, I cannot let your readers go away with the impression that his claims are based on solid evidence.

Mr Mead states that misused airguns "are responsible for a mounting toll of injuries". Well, let us look at the Home Office statistics. Between 1990 and 1996, the rate of severe wounding caused with airguns remained constant at about 200 incidents per annum. The incidence of slight wounding caused with airguns declined dramatically over the same period, from 1,852 to 1,266. To put these figures into context, over the same period, general crimes of violence rose from 1.85 million to 2.3 million.

In short, the Government's own figures show that misused airguns account for a tiny and declining proportion of violent crime. Airgun-related deaths are very rare, with eight recorded between in a recent 15-year period. By contrast, speeding police cars killed 22 people in 1997 alone. There is only one measure of airgun misuse which has shown an increase over recent years - damage caused to property - and this is entirely due to the rebasing of the monetary value that defines criminal damage.

I entirely accept that this is little comfort to anybody who has suffered from the misuse of an airgun. But I must point out that the actual use (as opposed to ownership) of airguns is already covered by our firearms laws, which are among the toughest in the world.

The police should enforce these existing laws, rather than trying to divert attention from their own incompetence by constantly demanding yet more regulation of law-abiding people. - A Mitchell, Northumberland.

SCHOOL BUSES

I SHARE the concern expressed in your lead article (Echo, Oct 5) regarding school buses.

The provision of seat belts, however, does not guarantee their use since they are often slashed, trashed or lashed together by the pupils themselves and not used for their intended purpose.

Obviously the driver cannot be expected to enforce their use and school authorities seem loath to provide supervision.

What parents, teachers and the media fail to realise is that many children put their own lives (and the lives of their classmates) at risk by acts of vandalism and mindless, almost suicidal, behaviour.

For example, emergency exits are opened while the vehicle is moving; seat cushions and other items are thrown onto the road and into the driver's cab; windows are kicked out; pupils smoke, light fires, refuse to keep their seats and insist upon riding on the platform thus restricting the driver's view. Drivers requesting order are usually ignored, often verbally abused and even spat at.

It is hardly surprising that many operators are coming to the conclusion that school bus operations are too troublesome, too costly and too dangerous to continue. - R Wade, Harrogate.

HOMELESSNESS

IT is all very well for the Government to spend money on a campaign to tell people not to give any money to beggars.

So why then can't the Government make it easier for young adults to find housing?

The last government reduced the amount of housing benefits that can be claimed by 18 to 24-year-olds between jobs.

This Government has not changed this, despite being against it when in opposition.

This is an age discrimination that means in some aspects of life you must reach the age of 25 before you are treated like an adult.

The new Code of Human Rights outlaws discrimination. Discrimination must include discrimination based on age too. I look forward to seeing a successful challenge.

When I was under 25 I almost became homeless due to being turned away by landlords who said due to my age and the present rules I could not guarantee the full rent would be paid.

I pity those who cannot find housing because of this. - Dennis Moore, York.