Sir, - You reported last week (D&S, July 12) that National Grid rebutted Revolt's claims that the public inquiries over the new power lines had been misled. National Grid went on to describe this as "one of the most closely examined decisions".

One thing not examined was critical financial detail which National Grid withheld as "commercially confidential". In particular, crucial details were withheld on "constraint costs", which may be incurred when the grid cannot accommodate all the selected power sources and has to call on second choices.

During the 1995 inquiries, National Grid claimed that objectors were causing constraint costs of almost £1m per week owing to delay in the project. It was implied that the majority of north of England constraint costs were down to lack of this new line. History has proved the contrary. The constraint costs were unusually inflated in 1995 and radically dropped over the next two years, so that the whole country's constraint costs were below £500,000 per week and not at all due to the lack of the new line.

Indeed, in the regulator (then OFFER)'s Transmission Price Control Review of 1996, it was revealed that National Grid had sought an allowance for increased constraint costs that would result from the new line.

You see, National Grid is a regulated monopoly which has its costs agreed and passed on to the customers; in essence it doesn't even pay for the new line. Those increased constraint costs, we later learned from OFFER, would be due to the knock-on effects of increased imports from Scotland, and would result in more pylons at new bottlenecks throughout England after the line is built.

National Grid was also severely criticised in the 1996 Price Control Review for exaggerating its costs in order to be allowed to pass on more in prices, with the result that very excessive profits had been made.

This came shortly after the scandal of Northern Electric's hidden profit levels under weak regulation. The spirit of Enron (like its corporate body) was alive and well in the UK electricity industry in the Nineties and the regulator was only partly catching up.

Space prevents me from going into other ways the inquiries were misled.

The DTI decision letter of March 26, 1998, said, in section 8.3:"Secretary of State accepts that developments since the close of Inquiry 2, including the representations on constraint costs, may reduce the economic benefit of the development but observes the overriding technical need for a solution remains."

That seems to acknowledge the misinformation while turning a blind eye to it, for the wrong details on costs (among other things) made nonsense of the evaluation of options.

MIKE O'CARROLL

Chairman of Revolt

Garden House,

Welbury,

Northallerton

Exceptional awards

Sir, - On July 3, the Richmondshire Sports Council Youth Awards took place at Richmond School.

Some 79 awards were presented by Coun Michael Hesletine and Mr Randall Orchard.

These are special awards, received by young people recommended by a sports club, individual or school for their achievement and dedication to their chosen sport.

A tremendous variety of sports were covered and an exceptional standard was achieved.

I would like to thank all who took part on the evening. The young sports people, the coaches, who give so much time to helping them achieve their goals, the committee of Richmondshire Sports Council, who organised the evening, and a big thank you to Hilary Conway, sports development officer.

Very grateful and special thanks to Randall Orchard (Construction) who generously sponsored the whole evening.

Coun JANE METCALFE

Chairman, Richmondshire Sports Council.

Thanks Mr Mayor

Sir, - The members of Disability Action in Richmondshire wish to record their thanks to Stuart Parsons, the Mayor of Richmond, for giving up a whole Sunday morning in his very busy schedule to cut back part of the hedge on the outskirts of Reeth Road.

The hedge was badly overgrown and, despite requests, had not been cut back by the county council, therefore it was necessary for people to walk out in the road to avoid being hit and scratched by the hedge.

The RNIB, in its latest video sent to local councils, had specifically pointed out how dangerous overhanging hedges and branches were to their members.

VALERIE BURROWS

Hon Secretary to Disability Action in Richmondshire.

Festival praise

Sir, - Could I, through your newspaper, please thank the organisers of Thirsk Festival? They did an excellent job.

All the events were well organised and the range catered for all age groups.

Some of the events required far more organisation, for example, the flypast, the balloons, bed race, and the carnival floats. I am sure these were all appreciated by the general public.

On Sunday, it was a pleasure to be involved with the events on the Thirsk and Sowerby Flatts.

PAT CHAPMAN

Chairman, League of Friends of the Lambert Hospital

Admirals Court,

Topcliffe Road,

Sowerby