SIR - John Hall (T&A, November 28) doesn't think "English taxpayers fund free services in Scotland".

Public spending per person in England is £6,762, in Scotland £8,265. In 2004/5 total spending on Scotland was £47.7 billion - total revenue from Scotland £36.4 billion.

So where does the extra £11.3 billion come from? It must be from English taxpayers.

Total North Sea oil revenue is £5.2 billion, not all from so-called "Scottish oil", so there's still a deficit.

Why not let them keep their share of oil revenue - but take back the extra £11.3 billion which we English spend on them? Or grant them what they continually ask for - independence.

Then we could keep the whole £47.7 billion to spend on our public services.

We would also lose Gordon Brown, Alistair Darling, Des Browne and the other 59 Scottish MPs.

Just think of all the extra money we would save from their salaries, pensions and other perks!

Perhaps we could then have English MPs making decisions for England and much better public services.

Dave Murgatroyd, Briarwood Drive, Wibsey