RE Bill Morehead's letter about the European Union (HAS, Feb 17).

I was officially informed that Wear Valley received £6m from the EU from 2000-06, so let's do the maths.

Multiply the population of Wear Valley, rounded to 60,000, by £120 (individual EU contribution), which creates an annual contribution from Wear Valley of £7.2m each year.

Since some of that money comes back to Britain, I'll be extremely generous and reduce that to £50 each, which would be considered as our administrative membership fee.

Wear Valley EU income (2000- 06) was £6m. Outgoings to the EU (2000-06) £43.2m (x £120) or £18m (x £50). Hardly good value for money for the taxpaying public either way.

What about the rebate giveaway by Tony Blair - the population of the North-East is 2.545 million, an extra £815,000 each week to the EU. County Durham (including Darlington), population 595,700 - an extra £190,967 each week. For Wear Valley, population 61,600, Brussels gets an extra £19,747 each week. Thanks, Tony.

Does Mr Morehead seriously believe British goods and services would be avoided because we weren't in the EU?

Britain should compete freely with the world, without the extra baggage and cost of the EU. - Jim Tague, Bishop Auckland Conservatives.