05/10/2005

That is, if there was any intention of ending debt. I suspect that much of the interest in wiping the slate clean is to clear the way for more borrowing.

In that case, emotive and ethical concerns raised over debt will have been a cynical deception. Are there any other means of raising money for worthy projects?

Poor countries could tax their better off and property owning citizens. They could sell wildlife habitat into international trusteeship ('debt for nature swap'). They could sell territory for development zones, which would become more viable if no longer under their jurisdiction.

They could take over many lucrative services from western countries. These include providing accommodation for international refugees and for western drug addicts and prison inmates.

All of these involve the country giving something in return for the money received. This doesn't seem currently to be on the agenda. - John Riseley, Harrogate.

ASYLUM SEEKERS

I WOULD very much like to know what sort of a community C Wheldale lives in (HAS, Sept 22).

Is it one of these "Simplistic Right" ones? I can only speak of personal experience on this, but the very small number of asylum seekers that I happen to know certainly inspire and enrich me.

They enrich me by teaching me of other lands, other cultures, other languages and other traditions. They inspire me by their hard work and optimism because they are able to appreciate the privileges of being allowed to be themselves and work for themselves without constant harassment and persecution on account of their race, religion or political views.

It is so easy to take for granted the freedoms that we are born and raised with and forget what life is like for most of the world's population.

Perhaps C Wheldale may like to explain to readers how on earth these people account for an increase in council tax, HIV and TB? This has me baffled. - Martin Forester, Spennymoor.

TREATMENT CENTRE

A NEW NHS treatment centre developed through the hard work of the staff that has general surgery, gynaecology, urology and other specialist units is to be handed over to a private company at the end of the year.

This state-of-the-art development in Birmingham serves a deprived area. The private firm has had no development costs and will be able to focus on good returns for its shareholders even though it may have regard for the people it serves. It will, however, take away from the hospital income that would have gone some way to cover the development costs.

The handover of facilities and staff to the private sector in order to promote competition goes against practical economics. For competition to work and make conditions better for the population, there must be perfect knowledge, competitors must be able to enter the market and there must be no collusion between firms.

Unfortunately, in the real world, perfect knowledge does not exist. Firms take advantage of ignorance to make excess profits and should have no place in the National Health Service.

An alternative way would be to develop co-operatives in the health service. It may seem a radical idea but it is one that is worth exploring. There are good models in existence that may need adapting.

There cannot be many people who want to see profits being made out of their sickness and it is doubtful that many health professionals are in favour of such a system. - Bill Morehead, Darlington.

WALTER WOLFGANG

THE disgraceful treatment of 82-year-old Walter Wolfgang (Echo, Sept 29) expressing his views is typical of the New Labour regime.

In Darlington our glorious leaders ask us to make comments and tell us "our views count" over various developments.

Well, as we have seen with a number of issues, they only have weight if you support the leadership edict. This applies equally to council officers objecting as well as the electorate.

The contemptible way this local authority is treating the views of the people is appalling.

By the way, fit your own complaint to this viewpoint but remember them at the next elections. - K Boddy, Darlington.

LUCKY PASSENGERS

HOW lucky bus users in Middlesbrough are. They have a bus service X10 run by Go North East which travels hourly to Newcastle via Stockton and Heworth Metro interchange. The buses used are all new and journey time is one hour 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in Darlington, users have to endure the Arriva 723/X1 service to Newcastle. Journey time is two hours 23 minutes and involves a half hour wait for X1 connection in Durham.

I have written to Arriva regarding this poor service and been advised by their customer service manager that the commercial manager will bear my comments in mind when the service next comes under review. Don't hold your breath.

What a pity Go North East no longer runs a service into Darlington. - E Marshall, Darlington.

TRAFFIC SYSTEM

I READ with astonishment that Darlington Borough Council is holding a family fun weekend to celebrate the start of work on the town centre.

It should have asked the people who suffered the chaos and mayhem with the new traffic system if it wanted to celebrate - and that's before the work has even started.

The council is not listening to the people who elected it. - R Elliott, Gainford.

REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES

RE Jim Tague's views on regional assemblies (HAS, Sept 26). The regional assemblies have been imposed forcefully upon England, because the Government has followed EU guides and has divided England into nine EU regions.

The country of England no longer exists, except as a football team.

Listen closely to politician speak. They say nations and regions. The nations are Wales and Scotland, the regions are what remains of England. The Government has made these assemblies voluntary bodies, despite them being controlled from Westminster and the taxpayer funding them.

This is so that no government can now ever dismantle them and they are not covered by the Freedom of Information Act either. You already know that we can't simply vote them away.

The only course of action left is for all those who participate in these undemocratic bodies and who take their 30 pieces of silver to stop taking taxpayers' money and stay away from them.

Tony Blair said Scotland got a Parliament because it's "a proud and historic nation".

Robin Cook said England was not a country but a group of regions. John Prescott said "there is no such nationality as English".

England is most definitely a proud and historic nation and there is only one English region and that's England.

We might have Judas in our midst, but the people will not be ignored for much longer. - Della Petch, Driffield.