09/11/04

Now that the people of our area of the UK have spoken and made known their opinion on what they think about the (hopefully) now defunct proposal for a regional authority, which seemingly had more to do with pleasing self-serving/interested Eurocratic bureaucrats running affairs from foreign parts across the North Sea, than in benefiting the good folk of the North-East of England, (or anywhere else in England) please may I ask if anyone knows whether there is any truth in the rumour that has been circulating for oh so long now, that one day we may get a referendum as to whether or not we wish to remain subjugated by the EU? - Megan Bethany Robinson, Darlington.

THE referendum is over, we have spoken, the answer was No, so why is The Northern Echo still wasting page after page on something that is yesterday's news?

I am getting really fed up with reading about it in your paper. I assumed that once it was over you would go on to report news, as a newspaper is supposed to do.

I also thought that a newspaper was supposed to be neutral and just report on things as they happened, but your paper is like a dog with a bone, you won't let go.

Please bury this now. We have Members of Parliament to look after our region. If you are so upset with the way things are going, get on to them, it's their job and they are getting paid for it. - Mrs Vivien Slack, Spennymoor.

ASYLUM SEEKERS

YOUR article on asylum seekers (Echo, Oct 30) does not address two critical points.

Firstly, costs incurred by councils in the region are fully met by the Home Office. Before we agreed with the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers, we carried out a costing exercise to ensure that our financial position - and that of council tax payers - would not be affected by this new duty. The exercise has proved successful.

Secondly, and just as importantly, the article misses out on the benefits which people seeking asylum can bring to the region and the UK.

A recent skills audit by the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough found that more than one in three asylum seekers had vocational qualifications and nearly one in five a degree. Many had qualifications in nursing, medicine and teaching. One in four did some kind of voluntary work and three out of four said getting a job and settling in the town was their key aspiration.

In other words, most asylum seekers are willing and well-placed to contribute to their local community and its economy. That is surely something that government, councils, private sector - and the media - need to focus on, so that all our citizens can benefit from the new diversity in our communities. - Councillor Bob Kerr, Executive Member with Responsibility for Asylum Seeker and Refugee Issues, Middlesbrough Council.

RUBBISH

I CAN'T be the only person who has noticed the increase in fly-tipping - the dumping of commercial and domestic rubbish - which not only litters the countryside but is also a serious health hazard.

I find that this problem has increased by 40 per cent in the past two years. Between April and July this year, there were 55,000 incidents of fly-tipping in Yorkshire alone. The figures are much the same in the North-East. It isn't just the countryside, either. There have been cases of gangs renting warehouses on business parks, filling them to the ceiling with waste and "doing a runner".

The rules for disposing of waste are becoming so tortuous, and the costs unreasonable and unaffordable by many small business people. Recycling schemes, landfill taxes, licensing of waste dumps are actually making matters worse.

It is not the Government's environmental policy that is the source of the problem. We have not had our own environmental policy since "environment" was introduced as an EEC competence nearly 20 years ago with the Single European Act.

The epidemic of waste dumping is directly a result of, firstly, the landfill tax and, secondly, the closing down of the bulk of the toxic waste tips in the UK as a direct result of EU law. The EU's waste framework directive which the Government is dutifully implementing is the cause of the problem. The real problem is that rubbish dumping continues and we can do nothing about it. - Peter Troy, Chairman, Darlington Branch, Federation of Small Businesses.

PARKING

THIS people-caring Government is trying to have all state pensions paid into a bank for what reason only they know.

Unfortunately, most banks are in the town centre which means that, to obtain weekly pensions, the elderly have to park in town.

Darlington's caring Labour council has clamped a parking charge in all streets within walking distance of any bank, forcing pensioners to use some of their pension before they can obtain their weekly pittance. When are our elected councillors going to realise that people should be considered when they attempt to save a few pennies? Life is hard enough living on a pension without having it eaten away with unnecessary expense. - Jim Rishworth, Darlington.

TONY BLAIR

LITTLE did anyone think that when Sandie Shaw sang Puppet on a String all those years ago that she was referring to a future Prime Minister, the one which we are so sadly lumbered with now.

George W Bush will manipulate Tony Blair for a further term. He is saying: "Jump", and our Prime Minister is answering: "How high?".

The terrible outcome is the news of further deaths of our troops in Iraq. Everyone realised that the slaughter would start again when our troops had to integrate with the Americans.

Why can't George W Bush and Tony Blair just bow to public demand and withdraw all troops now?

Peace will never be resolved in Iraq by the interference of Western powers as they prefer their own ways.

Our Prime Minister promised the Black Watch they would be home by Christmas. Well, how does he explain to the families of the latest casualties that they will not be celebrating Christmas this year?

There is an advertisement on television at the moment asking: "How do they sleep at night?". That is the question I would like to ask Tony Blair. - Olwyn Sewell, Willington.

SMOKING

NOW that the "celebrities" have departed and the people have resoundingly made their choice on regional devolution, surely the future promotion of this region should be the one of major concerns of its elected Members of Parliament?

Now, if The Northern Echo wants to throw its weight behind a cause that would really do some positive good for the people of this region, what about a campaign to promote the banning of smoking in enclosed public places?

Nobody could present a reasonable argument against that. - Harry Watson, Darlington.