27/10/05

Presumably, that is why, of the 2.5 million who qualify, only 40 per cent apply.

Was it intended to have this effect I wonder? Ministers already have most of the information they need to work out a reasonably accurate figure. Local authorities have all the information on pensioners' council tax liability and the Department for Work and Pensions knows their income.

If this information was shared and a letter sent to pensioners stating that this was their estimate, all that would be needed was for the pensioner to either sign and accept it, or send it back with any alterations. A bit too simple for this Government, I would imagine. - Joan McTigue, Independent councillor, Middlesbrough.

FRIENDLY FOLK

I MOVED to Sherburn, near Durham, three weeks ago from Oxford, and was a little apprehensive about starting a new life in a place I didn't know. I needn't have worried.

What is it about the North-East that makes the people so friendly?

I have lived in quite a few places in England and abroad, but wherever I go in the North-East, be it Sherburn, Durham, Newcastle, or anywhere else, people go out of their way to be helpful and courteous.

It is a pleasure to go shopping, out for a drink or walking in your beautiful countryside.

Thank you to the people of the North-East for making my move so easy and I look forward to many happy years in your community. - Peter Laurence, Sherburn.

TONY BLAIR

RE Des More's letter (HAS, Oct 19) regarding Tony Blair. In my opinion he will be remembered mainly for two reasons. One, the Good Friday Agreement. For years all parties have searched for a solution to the problem of Northern Ireland. Even as late as the last Major government, they tried without success. The number of lives saved by this agreement is tremendous and it also saves our country millions in peacekeeping.

The other is the democracy that exists now in Iraq. Just a short time ago Iraq was threatening the stability of the whole Middle East. Now the people of Iraq have just voted by a majority of 62 per cent from a mixed population for a new constitution and therefore have accepted democracy.

I greatly regret the deaths since the commencement of the hostilities, but I also remember the sadistic killings of Saddam and his henchmen. - Bernard McCormick, Newton Aycliffe.

COUNCIL TAX

DOOM and gloom is already coming out of Hartlepool Civic Centre to soften us up for council tax rises of 4.5 per cent. Unfortunately, this will not cover the "expected" shortfall in government grant. Hartlepool councillors are demanding no increase above 4.5 per cent (still well above inflation) and no loss of services. Has anyone ever told them you can't have your cake and eat it?

The shortage will have to be made from efficiency and productivity savings. Hold on, Hartlepool residents have been told for years that they have one of the most efficient councils in the country, rated "excellent" in all it does. How can efficiency savings be available and, if they are, why weren't they made last year when the council tax went up? Possibly the Labour councillors who control the council have realised there is an election next year. Labour is therefore using their puppet mayor to do a bit of scaremongering but will ride to the rescue in May 2006 to claim it is the saviour of the hard-pressed council taxpayers. However, the criminally high levels of council tax are actually the direct result of the policies of the Labour Government in Westminster.

Unless the people of Britain send the Labour Government a clear signal in May 2006 that enough is enough and vote out Labour-controlled councils, then council taxes will continue to rise until 2008 when the MPs in Westminster will start to worry about their own seats on the gravy train. - Stephen Allison, Hartlepool.

DAVID CAMERON

GORDON Brown must be worried. Having waited years to get his hands on the keys to 10 Downing Street, it might not be Tony Blair who finally keeps him out, but Conservative Party members and David Cameron - a leader with the charisma and appeal to transform Tory fortunes through a new vision of a more modern, compassionate Conservatism.

With a faltering economy and a tired Chancellor, it could well be floating voters, and not Tony Blair, who decide the man to move into No 10 Downing Street in 2009. - Mike Fishwick, Thornley.

CHARITY HELP

HELP is at hand for all those struggling to raise funds for charity and community projects across the North-East.

The autumn conference of the Institute of Fundraising North-East Branch, supported by the Northern Rock Foundation, will be held on November 2 at Newcastle Racecourse.

Workshop topics include charitable trusts, online fundraising, using newsletters, recruiting and retaining volunteers, and working with businesses. Sessions will be led by fundraising trainers and the cost of the full-day conference is £40 for IOF members, and £70 for non-members, including lunch.

The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body for UK fundraisers, and the North-East branch welcomes both paid and volunteer fundraisers at its bi-monthly networking meetings. - Bev Wears, 0191-263 0276 or email bev.wears@blf-uk.org

ROAD TOLLS

NOW that the general election is out of the way, road tolls are top of the agenda. We, of course, already have two road tolls: one on the small road leading to Durham Cathedral, the other on the A19 under the river Tyne, charging £1 each way and costing the users a staggering £11m per year.

The London charges start at £5 per day, and there is a threatened increase to £8 and the area of the charges being extended, in spite of protests.

We know that councils are already exploiting motorists by increasing parking charges, raking in over £1bn in fees and fines per year. This may be good new for those who run the car parks, but it is bad news for the motorist.

Let there be no mistake: congestion charges, as they like to call them, rather than road tolls, are just another tax on the motorist and the transport industry. Once they get them set up there will be no limit to the charges they will make. Regular road users, in particular those living in rural areas, do not use their cars for fun, but to get to work and earn a living. The days of living near your place of work in the shipyards or coal mines, is over.

It is these sort of people, who now have quite long distances to travel to work and may not be on very high wages, who will find it harder to pay excessive road tolls. - Stan Smith, South Shields.

EDUCATION DEBATE IT is with ever increasing incredulity that we read of the Government's latest plans for the shake up of our secondary schools.

Mr Blair is apparently fully behind the plans to make state schools virtually self-governing, putting power in the hands of the parents and opening up good schools to a wider catchment area. This is all well and good, however, how can he possibly reconcile this with his support of the closure of Hurworth school? Hurworth fulfils all of the criteria he and his ministers have laid out in terms of ensuring that good schools are allowed to prosper, while meeting none of the criteria for an academy; and yet he supports the latter proposal!

This all feeds the conspiracy theorists ideas that these plans have nothing to do with education and that they have everything to do with the release of valuable building land for Darlington Borough Council. If Mr Blair is serious about our children's education he must stop this hands-off attitude and begin responding with honesty and integrity to the constituency which elected him to represent them.

- Ian Holme, Hurworth.

SURGERY PROGRESS

I FEEL I have to write to you again to progress on my letter regarding the Hurworth Ward Surgery and tell everyone of the developments.

Councillor Martin Swainston (Lib Dem) came round to see personally to apologise for the lack of time available at the ward surgery which was out of his control.

He realised that my husband and I needed to speak him so thought it best to do this face to face (this he did prior to my letter). For this I am truly grateful and we were able to clear up the issues we had.

The Lib Dem councillor had all the time in the world to speak to me over a cup of coffee. He promoted in his election campaign that the Lib Dems would listen and report back to the people and he is being true to his word.

It was also very reassuring to see so many Lib Dems showing their support to the people of Darlington at the petition rally which was set up in the Town Centre by Share (Save Hurworth and Rural Education) for all protest groups which have a problem with our Labour council.

There were, of course, many councillors there from all three major parties, but it was only the Lib Dems who stood tall with their yellow rosettes proudly on display.

They promise to work with the people and support the people and this is what we all want, we do not want dictating to like our Labour council do. Well done Lib Dems on your support, I think everyone noted it, keep up the good work. - Julie Jones, Hurworth.