Letters to the Editor

SIR, - In criticising the approach of Government Ministers, Coun Hawkesworth (Gazette letters, March 25) conspicuously fails to attach any responsibility to the 'light touch' reactive regulatory regime put in place by the previous Conservative administration.

Lord Penrose criticises that regulatory system, whilst acknowledging the benefits of the Government's actions in setting up the Financial Services Authority, a comprehensive Financial Services Compensation Scheme and a single Financial Obudsman Service.

Lord Penrose's report makes it clear that the principal responsibility for the losses suffered by policyholders restst with the society's former management, which adopted a series of dubious practices, many of which were concealed from its own board of directors as well as from the regulators.

Clearly, we must all sympathise with Equitable's policyholders, but why should the taxpayer now be out of pocket in order to compensate those who invested in Equitable Life?

No Government can be expected to underwrite every company whose management makes fundamental mistakes and questionable decisions.

Neverthe less, the Government is keen to find solutions. The Financial Secretary to the Treasury, MP Ruth Kelly, confirmed that the Government would assist the Financial Service Ombudsman in resolving consequential issues; and the Financial Services Authority is working to ensure that all Equitable Life policyholders are treated fairly.

The Serious Fraud Squad and Department for TRade and Industry will decide whether a prosecution of the society's former management will now take place, and the Treasury has announced a programme of comprehensive reviews on the corporate governance of life murals and actuarial and accounting standards. In addition, the Parliamentary Ombudsman is considering whether to conduct a further investigation in the light of the report's findings..

These are the actions of a responsible Government which stand in stark contrast to the deregulatory 'anything goes' approach of the Conservatives, whose approach in Government fostered the irresponsible policies and practices of the former management of Equitable Life.

CHRISTOPHER LESLIE

MP for Shipley,

House of Commons,

London SW1A 0AA.

Research bid

SIR, - I would like to ask if your paper could cast some light on a true gentleman who was born and died in Ilkley on November, 1955.

This man was John Haliwell Mawson; when he died he lived at 19, Parklands, Ilkley. I know he had a cousin, Harry Eagle, who had a son, Brian. He lived in Ben Rhydding and they were both chartered accountants.

Jack (as he was known) Mawson was in his latter years a councillor in the town, advising on the water supply for the town, as he had retired from the Sunderland Burgh Water Board, and was involved in the design of their water works.

He was also on the board of governors of Ilkley Grammar School, as was Harry Eagle, his great friend.

The main reason for writing this letter was, in the 1914-18 war, Jack joined the Royal Engineers (Naval Division) serving in the Dardanelles, then in France where he was commissioned in the field to Major Mawson. At some point he was awarded the Military Cross.

Now the question is for what reason was he awarded this medal? What act of bravery did he do? I have tried to find out to no avail, through military channels. I wonder if this answer lies here in Ilkley..

My interest in Jack Mawson are simple. He was my great Uncle Jack, who was a wonderful uncle to me in the fifties.

I used to come on holiday from Scotland for a month at a time. We roamed the moors from the Cow and Calf to the Panorama Rocks, searching out the Swastika Stone, hidden in the grass then. We toured the dales from Malham Cove to Brimham Rocks in his big Wolseley motor car. He read to me the great books of Dickens plus the Count of Monte Christo before I went to sleep each night.

I was 11 then, maybe I was his son that he and his wife never had, who knows, but what a wonderful time I had.

'Halcyon Days'. Still to this day Ilkley draws me like a magnet to stay in your lovely town, those childhood days!

CHARLES STUART SMITH

4, Ruthven Place,

Troon, KA10 7EF.

Footnote: If any reader can help, please get in touch with Mr Smith.

Big clean-up

SIR, - May I, through the medium of your column, take this opportunity, on behalf of the Addingham Civic Society, of thanking everyone who took part in the Village Clean -Up on Saturday.

It proved very successful, and a number of people deserve our thanks.

Our grateful thanks go to the scouts and their leaders who kindly provided us with the hut, and who served refreshments to all the people who took part in the clean-up. Our thanks for all the preparatory work beforehand go to Alison Widdup and John Beverland.

Last, but not least, our thanks to everyone who turned up on Saturday to take part. It was wonderful to see so many people there.

J Gilmoure Davies

Chairman,

Addingham Civic Society.

Plea for blood

SIR, - I am writing to thank your readers who have donated blood or bone marrow to the National Blood Service (NBS) over the past year for their support and to persuade others to become donors as well.

I would also like to thank those people who support the NBS behind the scenes: the local collection session organisers, companies and volunteers who make valuable contributions to help the NBS fulfil its core purpose of saving and improving lives.

I recently presented the NBS's National Special Awards. The awards recognise the work of those people who have made 'special' contributions to the Service, including staff, volunteers, organisations, blood donors and recipients.

These people really have gone the 'extra mile' to support the NBS and I had the opportunity to see first-hand that being a blood or bone marrow donor really can save and improve patient's lives. It was a great honour and has inspired me to spread the word. By giving blood you really are doing something amazing - saving lives.

During the awards, as well as meeting blood transfusion recipients, I met some of the wonderful donor carers who ensure that giving blood is as comfortable as possible and also the volunteers who help organise donor sessions across the country.

Without these very special people the NBS wouldn't be able to operate and a big thank-you goes to them as well.

Please become a donor. To find where you nearest donor session is taking place call the National Donor Helpline on 0845-7-711-711 or visit www.blood.co.uk

TANIA BRYER

TV Presenter and

Blood Donor.

Rotary effort

SIR, - In communities like Ilkley and, indeed, in communities all across the world, there is no organisation that takes the motto of Service Above Self more seriously and passionately than Rotary International.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Rotary's commitment to a polio-free world. For nearly 100 years, members of Rotary have been working in communities like Ilkley to support projects addressing many of the world's most pressing issues.

Rotary's contribution to a cause has always meant more than money. Rotary members bring passion, creativity and genuine hard work on the ground.

In 1985 Rotary International took a stand against polio, a disease that crippled 350,000 children annually. Eighteen years later, Rotary has become the heart and soul of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a partnership spearheaded by the World Health Organisation, Rotary International, US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), dedicated to realising Rotary's dream of a polio-free world for children everywhere.

This year, confronted with a funding shortfall that threatened the eradication initiative, Rotary members again responded with thousands of fundraising events and millions in personal donations. Across the world, 1.2 million Rotary volunteers dedicated countless hours of their time to bring in vital resources and keep polio eradication in the spotlight. The results - 111.5 million US dollars for a polio-free world. Rotary International's total contribution to polio eradication stands at over half a billion dollars.

For millions of children and their families in some of the world's poorest countries, the results are plain to see. Today, 209 countries are polio-free (with only seven more to go) and more than two billion children have been immunised. Because of the dedication of Rotary members everywhere, and the support of communities like Ilkley, we are one step away from a polio-free world.

The Rotary Club of Ilkley would like to thank the people of Ilkley who have contributed to this project to ensure that every child is immunised against polio.

We challenge others - individuals, communities and governments - to follow your example and provide the funding still very much needed to ensure that all children can enjoy a world without polio.

Vernon Young

President,

Rotary Club of Ilkley.

A challenge

SIR, Would you like to take on the challenge of the Great North Run and help beat meningitis at the same time? The Meningitis Trust is looking for runners to join its team in Newcastle on Sunday, September 26.

All we ask in return is that you raise funds to help fight a disease that devastates the lives of thousands of individuals and families every year. To find out more and secure your place in this year's Great North Run, please contact me as soon as possible on (01453) 769085 or email me at grege@meningitis-trust.org.

Greg Evans

Meningitis Trust

Fern House, Bath Road,

Stroud, Gloucestershire,

GL5 3TJ.

Shop thanks

SIR, - Melanie and all her staff at the Good Food Shop, Addingham would like to thank each and every one of you who gave your kind support to make Britains Biggest All Day Breakfast such a huge success.

We are pleased to have raised a gGrand total of £501.70 for Cancer Research. The winners of the Raffle Prizes were:- 1 Rose Seddington, 2 Connie Lawrence, 3 Sam Fox. Thank you all once again for all your donations and support.

The Good Food Shop

Addingham.