SIR - I find it astonishing that NHS Professionals is being criticised after going into the red by £10million over three years (T&A, March 18).

That is just an average of £3.33million per year. Balanced against what other agencies waste and the good work that NHS Professionals does in attempting to maintain and indeed improve a service which was allowed to decay over a long period of time, it should come as no surprise if in an attempt to regain some of the ground lost over the years they stumble.

£10million in three years is a drop in the ocean compared to what some other agencies are wasting on a daily basis.

NHS Professionals provides two-thirds of all placements countrywide. With that in mind one should be grateful the bill is not three times that amount - but should still be grateful even if it were.

Mr District Auditor - back off or offer constructive advice and assistance in order that even more good work can be done in our great district by people in the NHS who battle each and every day with ever-increasing and demanding workloads without much recognition.

Martin John Petty, Haworth Road, Bradford 9

SIR - In his reply of March 12 about Wrose, Councillor Mark Blackburn illustrates the point that you should not comment about things you appear to know little about.

He says only the proposed change in ward boundaries makes a Wrose parish council feasible. This is wrong. There is no restriction on parish councils crossing ward boundaries.

Keighley Town Council incorporates communities from four electoral wards.

Re the decision to send all the traffic from the new development in the quarry out through Bolton Villas on to Wrose Road. It was Labour councillors who "foisted" this traffic on Wrose.

In 1995 Labour and Tory councillors when giving planning permission decided all traffic must use Wrose Road. In July 1998 developers proposed a compromise to share vehicle access to the site between Bolton Villas and Bolton Woods. But Labour councillors rejected this compromise, and again in February 2000 voted for all traffic from the site using Wrose Road.

Finally when the traffic issue was considered by the Executive in March 2002 both Labour and Conservative Executive members voted against Liberal Democrat objections to lift the point closure in Bolton Villas.

The fact is every time this issue has been voted on, Labour councillors have insisted that all traffic must use Wrose Road. It will be interesting to see how Labour respond when the latest application to build in the quarry is considered!

Councillor Howard Middleton (Lib Dem, Bolton), Harrogate Terrace, Bradford 3

SIR - In response to Brian Pickford (Letters, March 18), I feel the following information should also be mentioned re the Motor Insurers' Bureau.

The MIB will only help recover your uninsured losses. That is to say if you have fully comprehensive insurance then you should first claim from your own insurance and then the MIB will help recover (possible recompense you themselves) for any costs not covered (uninsured losses) by your said policy.

Also, the first £300 of any such claim with the MIB is not covered.

The knock-on effect from being hit by an uninsured driver, unidentifiable or not, should not be taken lightly. There is the stress of having to go through the claim, trying to get the police to act quicker in prosecuting the other party (that's the most frustrating part, believe me), having "fault claims" on your record and the policy excess and massive increase in your premiums.

Actually, if you can sleep at night and don't give a hoot, then it would pay to drive around uninsured because the penalties and the other knock-on effects of being caught are less than if you were insured. Crime doesn't pay?

Christine Munro, St Enoch's Road, Wibsey

SIR - I find it very alarming that Bradford Council has decided not to fund Beacon Enterprises. This will make such a difference to so many people who rely on Beacon to train for a better, brighter future.

I first attended Beacon Enterprises in 1998. I was very nervous about the training course I was starting, Basic Computers.

Since then I have done many courses which helped me get a job on Woodside estate for the past three years working for Royds Advice Team. I meet people all the time and feel very pleased to be able to do my job.

Sue Thompson, Meadway, Woodside, Bradford.

SIR - The other day my husband was in a state of collapse as he walked home from the local shop. I want to praise my neighbours for being so kind and helpful, even two that we did not know very well.

We have lovely neighbours who put themselves out to help others and us, and if everyone did the same this world would be a better place to live in.

Mrs Vera G Taylor, Chelwood Drive, Allerton.

SIR - Oh dear. Once again Dr Iqbal jumps to erroneous conclusions. Blind faith in President Bush and Tony Blair? I think not. A considered evaluation of the most basic selfish values begs this question.

In 20 years' time, when the world is running out of oil, who do you want to be in control of large reserves of it? A friend of Great Britain or Saddam Hussein's sons?

As I said before I have no illusions about the real reasons for this action. I never accused Dr Iqbal of being a pacifist, apologist or coward. These are his words. I have already agreed with him about the double standards of the US and UK in the Middle East .

As far as being in blind support of Prime Minister Blair, if Tony Blair would show the same amount of resolve in looking after our interests in the EU and the CAP then perhaps this would be true.

I hope, whatever our differences of opinion, Dr Iqbal joins with me in offering full support to our troops.

Derrick Hargreaves, Middlebrook Crescent, Fairweather Green, Bradford

EDITOR'S NOTE: This exchange of views is now closed.

SIR - Now that the UN has been shown to be totally ineffective and Britain and America have been forced into taking positive action themselves I wonder how the peaceniks will feel when the full horror of Saddam's brutal regime, his scheming and duplicity is revealed.

The main problem, as ever, has been France which is desperately trying to protect its massive investment in Iraq with a view to continuing its very lucrative trade with that country.. France is furious that America has formed such a close relationship with Britain and will do anything, even if it means the destruction of the UN and the break-up of the EU, to try to form a European power base to suit its own ends.

Their scheming, however, will backfire when they find themselves sidelined and excluded from any future debates on major world affairs and might I say - it serves them right!

M Wood, Westercroft View, Northowram

SIR - So Robin Cook has walked out on his country when it needed him most, walked out on our troops in the front line when they need support and walked into the political wilderness. My advice to him and local MP Marsha Singh who voted against the Government is keep walking and don't come back.

Their actions will be remembered come election time when the true horrors of Saddam Hussein's regime are exposed following the conflict.

John Halliday, Chapel Lane, Queensbury

SIR - After Saddam is overthrown, can we regard it as a job well done? These volatile people will in my opinion look upon us with suspicion and distrust for years to come.

We must expect this feeling to gel possibly with neighbouring states and great caution should be uppermost when the conflict is ended.

Kenneth E Higgins, Bempton Court, Great Horton.

SIR - It would be a shame if Temple Bank School were to close. I appreciate that it is good for pupils to mix, both disabled and able-bodied, as this reflects the general public.

However if this means that pupils are missing out in mainstream schools because the correct level of support is not there, then it is not fair on the students having to go to mainstream schools instead of schools like Temple Bank.

At a time when Education Bradford is looking at funding for support staff in general, it seems that the idea of closing what is a very good school is less than satisfactory. I hope that the prospect of selling the land that the school occupies is not the main reason for the closure.

Helen Burnett, Portwood Street, Daisy Hill, Bradford.