SIR – In certain countries in the world, there is plenty that governments don’t want their populations to know about and their leaders go to a great deal of trouble to make sure their own people never find out.

Yet even in our own country, deemed a ‘democracy’, it seems that there are occasions when our leaders prefer to mislead us as to what they're really up to.

Of course, we have the ‘30 year rule’, but this still means that some factual details only emerge long after the misinformation has been first issued.

During the miners’ strike of 1984, Mrs Thatcher claimed there would be 20 pit closures when, in fact, it appears 75 shut-downs were actually planned, which would result in 64,000 people losing their jobs.

It’s clear why that true figure was suppressed back then, but perhaps what is more concerning now is what is being hidden today, and whistle-blower Edward Snowden has surely highlighted this.

For example, today’s coalition Government refuses to publish the risk register for its NHS health care reforms but still claims, to a rightly sceptical public, the changes will not lead to the dismantling of the NHS.

So, is our public health service doomed? In this case, I think we’ll all know well before 2044!

David Hornsby, West View Avenue, Wrose