SIR - With regard to A Clarke's letter (March 13) claiming our EU membership betrays those who died in the war, it is worth remembering that the EU was set up precisely to ensure that such wars never happen again.

Almost every generation from the fall of the Roman Empire until 1945 fought on the battlefields of Europe. We simply had to find a better way of doing things!

In the half century since then, we have, of course, still had disagreements, but they are all settled around a negotiating table. A far better solution than war, in my opinion, and in stark contrast to what has happened outside the EU in places like the Balkans.

As regards the allegations that "Brussels" overrides our elected politicians, let me point out Brussels is merely the place we meet our neighbouring countries to find common solutions to common problems.

Far from being imposed, EU laws have to be approved by elected governments in the EU Council and by our elected MEPs in the European Parliament, making the EU one of the most democratic international structures in the world.

Richard Corbett, MEP for Yorkshire & the Humber, Blenheim Terrace, Leeds 2.

SIR - For two years the Standards Committee has published documents on how officers and councillors ought to behave. At last it has had a "case" to judge. But the T&A knew days before what conclusion the committee would come to.

Presumably that was because officials' and lawyers' instructions had determined the Council's standards of behaviour right from the start. The advice of the Monitoring Officer, a barrister, who consulted another barrister, was published a week before. The committee was presumably advised to disregard their ethics but not the advice of their expensive barristers.

So well done Councillor Greenwood for challenging the bureaucratic machine that condemned you! What would the Labour group do without the bully-boy standards you represented so well?

But what of the humanity and wisdom of the Bishop's team? The T&A reported no part played by the Bishop in this judgement. Do Labour and Conservative leaders not need his humanity and wisdom?

The bureaucrats had mildly incriminated Council officers as well who were never parties in the dispute. So the committee's conclusion had to be a dog's dinner.

The Bishop could not say this, but you could.

Sam Micklem, Spring Lane, Eldwick.

l EDITOR'S NOTE: We did not know days before what conclusion the Standards Committee would come to. However, we did know the conclusions of a barrister, which were in the report to the committee, and we said in an earlier story that the committee would consider the councillors' complaints about each other and the legal rulings. By law, reports and agendas have to be made available to the public and press at least three days before such a meeting. Councillor Micklem's claim that we reported no part the Bishop played in the judgement is incorrect. In fact we reported that he chaired the committee, which deliberated in private. We also reported that the committee took 75 minutes to reach its conclusion, which suggests that members found plenty to discuss. It was not the function of our report, which was a factual and balanced account of proceedings, to comment on whether or not the committee's conclusion was "a dog's dinner."

SIR - Re your news story on March 9 regarding the woman who had been on the dole for 24 years.

I do so very much agree with the lady from New York. The trouble in this country is very much the system.

I am 71 years old and still working. I have spent some time in America on holidays and the sooner we take a leaf out of their book, the better for this country.

John Rhodes, Manchester Road, Bradford.

SIR - No wonder bogus asylum seekers want to come here. An Albanian couple who were jailed for entering the UK on false documents were given £80,000 in compensation.

We have reached a situation where, if illegal immigrants are caught they win, and if they don't get caught, they still win.

This case leaves the Home Office facing millions of pounds in payouts to other similar claimants.

The taxpayer will again foot the bill, as a result of Jack Straw's inability to carry out his threats.

It seems as though we cannot detain illegal immigrants in our own country.

We must be the laughing stock of Europe, if not the world.

Every possible asylum seeker will be targeting our country for migration. They all know about the benefits offered in this country, and naturally want to take advantage.

These people cannot be blamed for wanting to improve their standard of living. This is a natural instinct of every human being.

Our Government must accept full responsibility for something that is testing the patience and racial tolerance of the British public to the very limit.

S Rehman, Hanover Square, Bradford 1.

SIR - In reply to the letter by H Clough, Carwood Village representative (T&A, March 15).

Once again Royds has been erroneously referred to as a private company despite the fact that it is a community-led charitable non-profit making association and is in no way a private company.

Once more this smokescreen of privatisation and private companies is being rolled out by the opponents of stock transfer.

Stock transfer is particularly welcomed by those unfortunate tenants who live in unregenerated houses. One would assume that as Holme Wood has been regenerated in its entirety, Mr Clough's home has also been regenerated.

It seems regrettable that he, as many like him in regenerated homes, does not seem to take the desires of those living in the 19th century dwellings into account.

I must also say that Buttershaw, Woodside and Delph Hill (the three estates currently regenerated by Royds) are still know as Buttershaw, Woodside and Delph Hill and will always be known as such, so why should Mr Clough possibly imagine other areas, such as Holme Wood which now, along with the east of Bradford, is coming into partnership with the south which includes Royds, should be different?

Pride in an estate makes that estate worth living in, and pride comes first with its name. This will not alter.

Mike Stocks, chairman, CARE, The Coppies, Delph Hill, Wyke.

SIR - With regards to Councillor Reynolds' letter which was in response to my own of March 10.

My objective was not to debate the legalities of stock transfer but was to champion the efforts of Councillor Keith Thomson and Gerry Sutcliffe MP who are both well known and respected on Buttershaw estate.

I would also like to ask Coun Reynolds if he is held in the same esteem by his own constituents as Coun Thomson?

It appears to me that Coun Reynolds is more concerned with the constituents of Buttershaw than his own constituents of Wyke.

Doris Vasey, Buttershaw Gate, Buttershaw.