BP PROFITS

THE disclosure by BP of an interim profit of £5.58bn was obscene and a suggestion of a Government windfall tax being imposed means that people are being taxed twice.

BP should repay these unfair profits at the pumps; especially in the light of the loss of 29,000 jobs predicted by the CBI by the autumn. - Bernard McCormick, Newton Aycliffe.

CLIC

AS patron of CLIC - Cancer and Leukaemia in Children - I would like to take this opportunity to encourage your readers to support us in our work to ensure the best possible treatment, care and research are provided for children dealing with cancer and leukaemia.

2001 marks CLIC's 25th anniversary year. Over this time we have seen survival rates for all childhood cancers improve from 30 per cent to 70 per cent and the type of care provided develop in hand with the needs of both the children and their families.

However, CLIC has a vision - a world in which cancer and leukaemia cease to threaten or impair the lives of children. But this vision is not attainable without your readers' help.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, CLIC is holding a national summer event - the Big CLIC Picnic throughout this summer. The charity would like as many people as possible to hold a picnic for CLIC - whether it be large or small, wacky or sensible, indoors or out - everyone can join in.

It's simple. Just call 0117 311 2630 to register and receive your bumper picnic pack containing a game, fundraising ideas, picnic recipe suggestions, CLIC stickers, balloons and a sponsorship form.

This is a wonderful and rewarding opportunity, not only to help those children suffering from cancer and leukaemia by providing services and care such as dedicated CLIC nurses and CLIC homes from home, but also to have a fantastic day out. - Gary Lineker, CLIC Patron.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

TONY Kelly comes to the conclusion (HAS, Aug 8) that our criminal justice system stinks and so do the people who run it.

He then goes on to demand the reintroduction of capital punishment. This is hardly joined-up thinking.

The introduction of capital punishment in a society where the justice system is corrupt would inevitably lead to a huge number of state-authorised killings of innocent people. How would this improve the state of our society? - Harold Heslop, Crook.

CHARITY TRIPS

I HAVE every admiration for people who raise money for good causes through sponsorship.

However, I fail to see the logic of people travelling to exotic locations at huge cost to raise a smaller amount in sponsorship for the charity they wish to support. Surely, it would make more sense to remain in this country, after all there are plenty of locations locally to walk, cycle or swim etc. All the money then raised could go to the nominated charity.

This, of course, would mean the loss of an expensive holiday for the participant. - M Brogan, Northallerton.

CONSERVATISM

SO John Young (HAS, Aug 7) thinks Tony Blair only gained power by being a lighter shade of blue.

Well, the late John Smith was a lighter shade of red and, had he lived, would have won the election on a bigger landslide than Tony under old Labour.

As for his "give all citizens an equal share", when has the Tory Party ever believed in a level playing field?

They would abolish the NHS and only people who could pay would be seen by a doctor - only children of the rich would be educated. They hate trade unions because they fight greedy bosses on behalf of workers.

The reform of the House of Lords ridiculed by the Tories. Why? Because they had three times as many members as Labour and Lib-Dems.

As for working with other nations, Britain would be isolated under the Tories, the party that took us in to Europe and would now pull us out.

Equality under the Tories - I think not. - JL Thompson, Crook.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH

I FULLY accept that there have been major problems within the farming industry, however no person has died as a direct result of this disease.

You are the leading local newspaper that is heading a campaign for compensation to be paid to miners, or their families, due to their suffering and in many cases death due to emphysema, and bronchitis. My father died nearly four years ago, leaving my mother, who is now 75 years of age.

Many more people like my father and mother have suffered for years and are still doing so.

Why is that farmers can receive their compensation within months, yet these hard-working miners and their dependents are still waiting, in some cases in excess of five years.

It is only a shame that the same urgency can not be applied to these people as has been to the farmers. It seems that if you shout the loudest, you will receive your reward.

I am certain that there will be criticism of this point of view. Well the people who do this should try and watch a father dying, and a mother trying to nurse and care for a loved one, they will then know what real suffering is. - John Stephenson, Redcar.

CARE HOMES

IF you are an older person, or the relative of an older person, planning to go into a nursing or residential care home, it is important to remember that you do have a choice about the home itself and where it is.

It is very important that older people should be able to choose a home near enough for relatives and friends to be able to visit them and one which meets their physical, social, emotional and cultural needs.

Local authorities, which are responsible for arranging residential and nursing home care, have been directed by the Department of Health to give older people reasonable choice over where they live. Unfortunately, many local authorities are ignoring these directions and restricting older people to homes which offer the cheapest cost to the authority itself or with whom they have block-booked beds.

The question of choice will become even more important after October 1 when the Government will start to pay for the nursing care of all older people in homes.

We fear that this will lead to older people having less choice and control over care home accommodation because health and local authorities will be even keener on cost cutting. - Paul Martindale, Counsel and Care, London.

UNIONS

WITH regard to Hugh Pender's recent remarks about private money and unions (HAS, July 26), if the Tories had dared to suggest privatisation of the NHS or schools, the unions would have rallied the lads on to the streets with the full backing of the Labour Party.

Look at the hard facts and not the ideology. The unions have been used by the Labour movement for one reason only, to destabilise any Conservative government.

We only have to go back 16 years. Arthur Scargill, fully supported by the Neil Kinnock's Labour Party, was cast aside as a crackpot when he failed to bring down Margaret Thatcher.

Don't believe me? Then why did this working-class hero only receive 900 votes against a twice-disgraced minister Peter Mandelson.

Never mind the private money, what I and many other ordinary working lads want to know is where is our money? Gordon Brown doesn't seem to know how to spend it. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland.

Darlington PARK

ON A recent visit to Eastbourne Park play area in Darlington, my seven-and-a-half-year-old grandson ruined a pair of good shoes while playing on the so-called play equipment. Surely from the money paid by citizens of Darlington, an adequate amount could be used to keep these areas in good condition for the children. We consider it fortunate that it was his shoes that were ripped and not his leg. Come on Darlington Council - make our playgrounds safe. - S Burnage, Darlington.