SIR – Oh dear, what a sad letter from Jason Smith (T&A,14 January), trying to stake out his intransigent UKIP’s territory before the election.

He’s going to ‘fight’ any suggestion that any sort of provision be made to facilitate swimming for an under-catered-for section of the population. No one is asking for ‘preferential treatment’ for any section of the community.

All that is being suggested is that a section of the community, South Asian women, should not be disadvantaged. Swimming pools have various sessions within the week.

The proposal is that one pool should have one ‘women only’ session and that the pool should be so designed that, for the occasion and in order to serve modesty, it cannot be viewed from outside or from within the building.

This could be achieved with screens, blinds or shutters, if big windows are desired for the rest of the time. Smith is troubled that council taxes would be spent on such provision – but do not all sections of the community pay council tax?

I would regard making such provision not as ‘political correctness,’ which generally I eschew, but simply as good manners and justice for a disadvantaged section of the community.

Nicholas Bielby, Frizinghall Road, Bradford