10/03/05

In fact, our profit margin of 4.2 per cent was the same as we made in 2002. It represents a profit of around three pence in the pound after tax.

You said British Gas "came under fire from consumer groups" and quoted uSwitch.com. uSwitch likes to pass itself off as an "independent comparison service" - it isn't. It is a commercial energy broker, tied by contract to competitors of British Gas, such as Powergen or Scottish Power, which pay uSwitch a commission payment for every customer who switches away from British Gas.

It's rather easy to see why uSwitch might single out British Gas' energy profits of £429m, while having nothing to say about Powergen's parent company's 2004 UK earnings of £600m or Scottish Power's doubling of UK earnings in the first nine months of this financial year.

Put our profits in the context of our £16bn of investments to secure new energy for the UK from overseas as North Sea output has gone into decline, and to reverse the trend of rising energy prices. - John Jessup, Public Relations Manager, British Gas.

UNIFORM

A SCHOOLGIRL has won the right by a British court to wear a religious uniform at school, so how long will it be before Islamic men win the same rights, that is policemen, soldiers and other armed forces, firemen, doctors etc? - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill.

IMMIGRATION

THE Blair Government's immigration policy could be deliberately designed to ferment a public dislike of those coming into Britain from the Near and Middle East. This would fit in nicely with the Bush Middle East doctrine, as any act of terrorism linked to those being allowed into this country could be used as an excuse to expand activities into other Middle Eastern countries. - GH Grieveson, Richmond

TONY BLAIR

TONY Blair will go down in history as the worst Prime Minister this nation has ever had (HAS, Mar 5). He ignored the Government report on the 1968 foot-and-mouth outbreak and refused a public enquiry into his mishandling of the recent outbreak. He intends to present our grandchildren with a £30,000 bill at the end of their education when his and our education was free. He encourages the employment of nurses from under-developed countries. He does not honour his promises made to the elderly. He has destroyed our constitution by creating three countries, each with diverse systems of care for the elderly, yet taking us into Europe as one nation under a constitution that he doesn't understand. He is bent on destroying, not reforming, the House of Lords. Worst of all, he illegally invaded a country at the cost of many innocent lives. - Henry Ballantyne, Newton Aycliffe.

COUNCIL TAX

I HAVE had to move away from Darlington temporarily. After my tenant vacated my property in the town in December, I was shocked by Darlington council's decision to only give a ten per cent discount to vacant properties.

The council says this is to encourage maximum occupation of these empty properties.

Surely this goes against everything council tax was designed for? According to the council's council tax leaflet, the tax revenue is to fund the services provided by the council to its community.

Of course, as empty properties do not house members of the community to provide a service to, the decision not to charge any council tax at all would have been a totally justifiable but sadly non profit making decision! - Name and address supplied.

HUNTING

I TOTALLY agree with Ruth Parker (HAS, Feb 22) and Christopher Wardell (HAS, Mar 3).

I have hunted since I was young. It's in my blood. Depriving us of hunting is like removing a limb - it's a fundamental part of who we are.

Not only do we love hunting, our horses love it too. It's a very social sport - you get to see some of the fantastic scenery our countryside has to offer from the back of a horse.

I would like to point out to Hugh Pender (HAS, Mar 3), who was condemning Michael Spencer QC, that a hunt does not go out to hunt wild animals to death for pleasure. More often than not the fox gets away as they are very cunning creatures. Foxes themselves kill for pleasure. They have to be controlled and hunting is the best method.

Shooting a fox and dragging the carcass around the countryside is not the way forward. Instead, many fox-hounds may now have to be shot as there is not enough work for them. This Government is ruining our countryside! - Simon J Robinson, member of Zetland and South Durham hunts and amateur jockey, Darlington.

CAN your correspondents inform me of the difference in pleasure and satisfaction between a man riding a horse watching a pack of hounds pursuing then killing their prey and a man sitting in a comfortable chair at home watching on television a pack of wild African dogs doing the same?

The only difference I can see is the rider follows the chase in an open manner while the television viewer enjoys his excitement behind closed doors.

If hunting, which is a countryside pursuit and not a sport, is cruel and barbaric, then certain wild birds will have to be stopped from dragging worms out of the ground for food, cats and owls should not kill mice, stoats should not kill rabbits or spiders kill insects which would mean the elimination of all predators that hunt and kill.

This action would then make man a predator, so, after completing his task, he would have to commit suicide to bring the line of predators to an end. Countryside cruelty would be abolished and we would all live happily ever after, just like in any fairytale. - Thomas Conlon, Spennymoor

THE NHS

AFTER all the bad press the NHS receives, I would like to give some praise.

I was diagnosed on November 4, my wife was informed there was a six month waiting list, yet I had an operation on November 25. I could not have wished for quicker service.

I would like to thank the doctors and nurses of Ward 32 of the Darlington Memorial for their care and attention, and also the day ward nurses on my return. They all do a great job cheerfully. Thanks again. - D Tallentire, Bishop Auckland.

WRITING

RARELY do I read right the way through any columnist's stuff. What beats ex-editor Harold Evans' advice to us letter-writers: "Keep it short, crisp and snappy"?

Just like this. And even then "we will begin to boil it (one's letter) down".

Meanwhile Peter Mullen et al are noted for their prolixity. I would cut their stuff, sometimes by half, which would promote discerning readers' interest.

Long ago one of our captains, who had been a senior journalist in civvy street, told me: "Only crackpots and show-offs write to the editor". Which doesn't say much for me. - Alfred H Lister, Guisborough.