Letters to the Editor

SIR - I agree with Alan O'Day Scott (T&A, January 13), but where he says: "there are many Muslims in Bradford refusing to speak English and speaking Urdu instead", I think it would have been better to say Pakistanis rather than Muslims.

I know they are Muslims but they do not understand what Islam says. I am not British but I consider myself British because I am proud to live in Britain.

Islam says wherever you live it is your country and you work for the betterment of that country.

I speak Urdu and English, but whenever I talk to my Pakistani friends I try to avoid talking Urdu in front of my English friends. They might think I am talking about them and that can hurt them.

I am a member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Bradford and our community always conducts its programme in the mosque in English - even Quran classes.

To aid integration we translate quotations from Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Sikhism into English and display them in our exhibitions.

Unity cannot be achieved without integration. If we want to stand on one platform we need to respect each other's feelings.

Nida ul Haque, Amberley Court, Bradford

Recycling hitches

SIR - I wish to comment on the doubtful future of the Aire Valley recycling system which has failed to keep up to its intentions.

During the first few months things went fairly smoothly, although I did have to phone them on two occasions when my contribution was overlooked and once when our street was missed entirely.

We were then informed that from December 5 collections would be fortnightly instead of weekly, to enable the service to expand.

However, since then we have had one collection, on the December 15, and despite a number of calls from myself and neighbours we are still awaiting results.

What started as a good idea has now resulted in an unsightly number of boxes, bags and cartons along most of the streets around the town for days at a time which does not give a very good impression to the hundreds of visitors that arrive every weekend.

Many residents have given up and resorted to using the normal refuse collection. For myself I shall revert to the occasional trip to the waste disposal centre while I can still drive after which it will have to be the wheelie bin.

Peter Kelly, Sun Street, Haworth

Signs of progress

SIR - There hasn't been much coverage of the recently-announced Yorkshire and Humber Climate Change Action Plan and it has much to interest and challenge our own local area.

There is evidence of some good progress, with Barnsley having the biggest wood-fired heating scheme for community housing in the country, from the trimmings of street trees, and bio diesel made from waste vegetable oil.

However there is still much to do as the 14 per cent rise of emissions from transport means that, on balance, we will not meet our targets - and that's before the airport takes off.

Keith Thomson, Heights Lane, Bradford.

Wrong assumption

SIR - What a strange assumption Geoff Tasker makes (T&A, January 11). I am quite flattered that he thinks I was a member of the worst-ever Tory government.

I can say with equal conviction, Mr Tasker, that just as wrong as your assumptions are, so are words of support for Mr Blair, who, as a matter of fact admired Mrs Thatcher and even sought her advice in his first term. You do your utmost to defend the indefensible. Pouring money into public services does not guarantee improvement.

Gordon Brown helped admirably with the plight of pension schemes (except those we all pay for the public sector employees) and, in spite of current "decent" wages, Brown has to ask all workers to deflate their demands for higher pay, because of the big hole expected in the economy, which, Mr Tasker says Brown has "spent wisely".

As regards the childish "Thatcher the milk snatcher", has he not read that even this government is considering withdrawing daily milk from youngsters since most experts agree that it is a waste of money?

Surely, parents can afford to buy their children a drop of daily milk out of child allowance or whatever it is called today - that is what it is there for!

P E Bird, Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley.

Ineptitude reigns!

SIR - Is there no end to the ineptitude of the group of individuals we laughingly call our Government?

In the last few days we have witnessed the mind-numbing stupidity of the Education Minister allowing paedophiles to teach in schools, and the Deputy Prime Minister "forgetting" to pay his council tax for eight years!

This follows Tony Blair's seven years of promising to stand firm over our EU rebate, then handing over £7 billion of our money to the even more incompetent EU, an EU which has become an unstoppable juggernaut riddled with fraud and corruption.

The chasm between Blair's rhetoric and reality grows wider daily. "Tough on crime - tough on the causes of crime" as yobs and villains take over our streets.

"Education, education" as we turn out more and more children unable to read and write to acceptable standards.

A Chancellor whose incompetence has caused an enormous black hole in Treasury coffers and who's stealing of £5 billion, every year, from our pension funds has created a national pensions disaster.

Gridlocked roads, failing railways, bankrupt schools and third world hospitals - all this and still we vote for them.

Malcolm Wood, Westercroft View, Northowram

Stop moaning

SIR - It will come as no surprise to the rest of the English-speaking world that many Britons are griping about the EU.

We have an unequalled reputation for moaning. If there was a world championship for moaners, or a Eurovision whine contest, we would run away with all of them.

In Australia and New Zealand it's whinging poms, and in the UK and Canada it's moaning limeys. We really do moaning very well indeed, not much else sadly.

This is the country where, on a lovely sunny day, you remark on the fact to casual passers-by. You can guarantee that about 70 per cent of the replies will be in the negative - about time; it won't last; we'll pay for it.

Am I right? You know it. When it was Merrie England, we were successful. Change your attitudes, expand your minds, make things work.

The EU can be our biggest success, but for goodness sake stop moaning.

Eric Firth, Wellington Street, Wilsden.

Paying for Punch?

SIR - It was interesting to read of the notable events from the past years (T&A, January 10). Included was Punch and Judy who have given pleasure for more than 400 years.

People who did not have money to attend theatres were entertained in the street with portable Punch and Judy shows. The performers were dedicated and determined in their efforts to amuse.

There is concern that the proposed licence to perform will add to their expenses.

Dennis Rhodes, Allerton Road, Bradford

Honours devalued

SIR - Although a sports fan, I heartily endorse Derek Mozley's criticism (T&A, January 11) of the practice of scattering gongs like confetti among individual members of temporarily-successful sports teams.

This only serves to further devalue the currency of an already largely-discredited honours and awards system.

Also, I have a further problem with OBEs, MBEs, etc. Try as I might, I cannot find it in my atlas - the British Empire, I mean.

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley