12/07/03

THE recent BBC-Government controversy emphasises the fact that the BBC should be given its independence, where it will be free from all control, will answer to no government official, be free to employ whoever it chooses and be able to broadcast any programme it decides to broadcast without fear or favour.

At the moment the BBC is subsidised by the Government by way of the TV licence fee, and if the BBC becomes independent then it must be able to provide its own finance. This is already being done successfully by ITV companies so it should be no problem for the BBC.

If the BBC does become independent, then the TV licence fee can be abolished. This will be a cause for celebration for those people who already object to paying the fee and will be extremely popular with the electorate. - Paul Browne, Easington.

IN the ongoing Iraqi debate Tony Blair spoke of: "A serious attack on my integrity."

My dictionary defines integrity as 'wholeness, the unimpaired state of anything, uprightness, honesty and purity'.

I think Mr Blair should be very wary of paying claim to these virtues. - L Lewis, Bishop Auckland.

BRITISH forces are still in Iraq and the war continues, but as a war against guerrillas. We have no idea when we will be able to withdraw, and we shall be obliged to stay until the Americans are also ready to pull out. If the weapons the international community did not want Iraq to have are actually found some time in the future, it is an established fact that they were not used against us. The imminent danger from them was simply not true.

We cannot undo what has been done. What we can do is to make a judgement, after all the facts have been drawn out, on whether the Prime Minister can ever again be trusted. We can also re-examine whether it is in our national interest to unconditionally ally ourselves to the Americans.

The American Government now admits that it has seen matters differently since the attack on its homeland on September 11, 2001. There has been a spasm of irrationality, and the conditioned reflexes of a wounded animal.

The majority of us readily sympathised with the American people when they were attacked by terrorism with such dramatic loss of life. But I remember that many of us felt at the time that their response would not be as measured as it needed to be. That fear we had then has been justified.

I hope that there will now be a period of calm reflection and circumspection. Both our Parliament and their Congress are asking questions that needed to be asked a year ago. But lessons could be learnt. - Geoffrey Bulmer, Billingham.

SMOKING

ONCE again we hear from nicotine addicts that they will be restricted from killing more people with passive smoking if they cannot contaminate any public place.

Many public places are available to children, but will that be of any concern? Hardly likely because many of them fill their own homes with fumes and their own children are then liable to die young with cancer of their lungs.

Most smokers have tried and failed to give up their addiction so they then want to have the freedom to kill people with passive smoking.

Smokers are in the minority because most people have seen what it does to members of their family and others and so they reject it. The warning on cigarette packets are not composed by puritan non-smokers but by sensible people who are aware of the dangers and do not ignore them as smokers do. - E Reynolds, Wheatley Hill, Co Durham.

ROAD IMPROVEMENTS

NOW let's see, we are trying to fully integrate ourselves with Europe, which hopefully will mean extra business opportunities, but at the same time trying to introduce road pricing.

I know that more dual carriageways isn't the complete answer, but it will be better for business than road pricing. Come on, spend some of the road tax money on the roads. - F Atkinson, Durham.

POLICE

IN reply to the letter about policing in Colburn (HAS, Jul ) I must say that since eight weeks ago, the new area police constable has been patrolling the area on a regular basis, visiting the school and village hall and walking the beat, meeting shop owners and chatting to members of the public, also catching youngsters trespassing the school premises red-handed.

The Police Community Safety Officers also have been doing their bit.

Colburn is a big place and the police and PCSOs don't only have Colburn to take care of, but in general, when needed, they come out if called for. - S McLaren, Colburn.

HUNTING

YOUR report of the hunting bill (Echo, Jul 1) did not match the debate which I sat through for the whole duration.

The timetable slot for the Lords need not be lost as it is for a non-sitting month, not a calendar month, so it can still go forward in this session and the Parliament Act be invoked. Talking to MPs afterwards they seemed confident things are heading towards a ban.

I am proud of the MPs who stood by their principles and went for a complete ban. - Marjorie Embling, Hunwick.