11/10/05

Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) are voting on whether to join forces. This could lead to the creation of a powerful, new accountancy body with 140,000 members - including more than 4,500 in the North-East.

This is not a decision affecting the accountancy profession alone. It has implications for the regional economy, the business community and the public sector.

The UK has six separate professional bodies representing accountants. As a result, the profession has difficulty speaking to government and industry with one voice.

A pooling of resources would enable us to punch our weight on issues such as regulatory reform, tax simplification and burdens on business.

Under the integration proposals, ICAEW and CIPFA members will retain their existing qualifications and designatory letters.

As someone who cares passionately about the profession - and the region - I am encouraging all chartered accountants in the North-East to vote in favour of integration. - Keith Proudfoot, ICAEW Northern Regional Manager, Newcastle.

GAME SHOOTING

HELEN Shuker of the British Association of Shooting and Conservation claims that much of the habitat in the countryside is there because of shooting and it is managed in a way which is sympathetic to other wildlife (HAS, Oct 3). This is wide of the mark, to say the least.

The whole concept of countryside managed for shooting is to provide an environment first and foremost for the rearing of game birds (pheasant, partridge, grouse, snipe etc) to the detriment of all predators (buzzards, hawks, harriers, auks, stoats, weasels and more) and, of course, the fox.

It is common knowledge all the above species are ruthlessly exterminated by gamekeepers to ensure the survival of as many game birds as possible for the shooting fraternity. It is a fact that the shooting of any birds of prey is against the law and also the trapping of such. This law is blatantly ignored time and again.

To say snares properly set by experienced operators are not indiscriminate is also open to debate. Does the operator of the snare watch over it 24 hours a day to ensure only the intended victim is snared?

How on earth can you have a diversity of wildlife without predators? Come on Helen, stop trying to convince the public shooting and conservation go hand in hand. The only conservation applies to the game birds reared to be shot and if other species survive it is more good luck than good management. - DT Howdon, Durham.

PETROL PRICES

THREE weeks ago when Asda promised to cut its petrol price to 89p a litre, Tesco said it would do the same.

Since that time, Tesco in Catterick has dropped its price by 2p to 93.9p only.

Tesco in York and Ayr and others around are all down to 89.9p, as is Morrisons in Darlington, which has been at that price for three weeks.

Is this a case of keeping the price up to exploit the young soldiers and their families and the people of the Dales who have very little alternative?

I hope you will address the issue. I think it is disgusting that families of soldiers serving in Iraq should be exploited by a multinational which says one thing for the Press and does another. - J Gilmour, Scotton, North Yorks.

HIGH ROW

THE start of work on the High Row, Darlington has produced a flood of complaints in your columns.

Business people worried about the loss of business and bus passengers' complaints about the new locations of bus stops are just some of them.

The situation on Crown Street will get worse when the new multi-storey car park is opened.

Other than Labour councillors, who wants this expensive project? They seem to have lost the plot regarding encouraging people to use public transport.

What is apparent is the desperate need for a new bus station. Feethams is the obvious location and people want a bus station more than another supermarket.

The council's duty is to provide the necessary facilities for the citizens and not to sell off the family silver.

We would also propose that there should be a small, environmentally friendly shuttle bus to run from the bus station through the town centre. - Brian Fiske, vice-chairman, Darlington Liberal Democrats.

KEN DODD

AFTER watching the brilliant Ken Dodd at Darlington Civic Theatre, I thought isn't about time the man was knighted?

My jaw was aching with laughing. There just aren't many comedians who can make you laugh from beginning to end.

The man is an institution, and should be available on the National Health Service. Half an hour of his treatment will cure just about anything.

Bring him back soon. Long may he reign. - J Brant, Darlington.

ST GEORGE

RE the story (Echo, Oct 4) regarding officers being ticked off for wearing St George's Cross tie pins at Wakefield prison by Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of Prisons, and her foolish remark being that it could be misinterpreted as a racist symbol.

These politically correct people should know that the St George's Cross is our country's flag and should be proudly worn by the British people.

Go to any country and you will see their national flags being displayed and we should be proud to do the same.

It has nothing to do with being racist.

If Miss Owers is ashamed of this country's flag I suggest she emigrates to another country where there is no freedom and she will soon realise what true freedom means.

It is time for the British people to tell the Government and those involved in their foolish politically correct ideas that we want our flag to be displayed everywhere and that we have had enough of this foolishness.

The Government should sack Miss Owers and replace her with someone who is not ashamed of our country's heritage nor its flag. - P Springer, Hartlepool.

ARMY THANKS

THE Salvation Army at Sherburn Hill would like to thank everybody who supported this year's annual appeal.

Residents of Sherburn Hill, Sherburn, Shadforth, Pittington, Carrville and Belmont donated £2,800 and we are grateful for each donor's generosity.

Together with other Salvation Army centres throughout the UK, we hope to exceed last year's national total of £2.6m.

As the largest provider of social welfare in the UK after the Government, this money is vital and we thank you on behalf of those who benefit from our social and community work. - Captain Scott Linnett, Commanding Officer, The Salvation Army, Durham.