HOME Information Packs (Hips) have inevitably descended into the shambles that results from illthought out and unnecessary legislation. In an attempt to salvage something, the Government has been forced to delay implementation and fiddle with the criteria for applicable homes.

One thing no major politician has admitted, however, is that home sellers still face having to pay at least £200 for an Energy Efficiency Certificate. The British Government is obliged to introduce them by EU directive 2002/91 on the energy performance of buildings.

This directive was intended to aid the EU in reducing its carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.

The EU has repeatedly criticised the US as environmentally irresponsible for refusing to sign up to the protocol. It is ironic, therefore, that last week saw announcements that in 2006 the US reduced carbon emissions by 1.6 per cent, while the EU's rose by 1.5 per cent.

Why can't the Lib/Lab/Con politicians admit they no longer control such things? Instead, they just try to keep hidden, from an increasingly Euro-sceptic population, that the British Parliament in Westminster is now just a rubber-stamp for Brussels' legislation, which is at odds with the British way of doing things.

Councillor Stephen Allison, UKIP, St Hilda Ward, Hartlepool Borough Council.

IS our current contingent of local Labour MPs going to stand mutely by while one of their own, Tony Blair, signs up to a rewritten version of the EU Constitution thus reneging on their manifesto promise to hold a referendum to gain the people's approval before doing so?

Since many of them will no doubt be standing again at the next General Election, each and every one of them owes us, the voters, an immediate statement with regard to this situation.

I would like to believe that this will happen, but such is the way with present day politics and government I doubt that it will.

I suppose that once an election is won all manifesto promises are considered to be of no consequence.

John Routledge, Witton Gilbert, Durham.