Letters to the Editor

SIR - It was very interesting to read the article 'Youth Parliament has Second Helping' (T&A, January 22) about the second attempt at an established and working Youth Parliament. Voters to be aged between 11 and 25 inclusive, 67 young people standing for election, with 30 being appointed.

Of the annual budget of £105,000 from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, £75,000 will be used on salaries for the team to make it happen, with £15,000 for the headquarters in Sunbridge Road. That leaves £20,000 for operational costs.

Why are pensioners who need funding and support for their own central headquarters ignored?

Youth is important, they are the future, but do not forget the older generation have wisdom, experience and a lot to offer. Pensioners do not want to feel ignored and be treated as second class citizens. All Bradford's pensioners' groups should support one another, end personality clashes and form one group united in one cause.

The coming election is the ideal opportunity to make the elected MPs support our needs and take notice of the National Pensioners Convention manifesto which will benefit all pensioners.

Why can't the pensioners of Bradford have their own Pensioners Parliament and work with our elected councillors - our votes put them in office?

Jean Walker, Chairman, Forum Focused on Pensioner Power, Kentmere, Wrose.

Our hard work

SIR - Young people in Bradford have been subjected to various negative stereotypes, and the Youth Parliament has worked extremely hard counteracting such attitudes.

It was disappointing reading the Comment (T&A, January 22) and the negative attitude towards the Youth Parliament members' hard work which I would like to point out is all done on a voluntary basis.

The parliament is criticised for not working on issues closer to home such as community cohesion. Is the author of Comment unable to make the link of how global warfare impacts on the youth of Bradford?

Allow me: the war on Iraq directly affected the relationship between the non-Muslim and Muslim youth of Bradford (racist incidents increased - check with the police and education Bradford).

As the parliament's contribution towards community cohesion, which was authorised by a petition with more than 7,500 young people's signatures, we ran more than 30 workshops for young people resulting in the creation of a peace dove and a celebration event in Centenary Square.

Does this not display the parliament's contribution towards healing the wounds of the disturbances, 9/11 and the war on Iraq?

Young people should be encouraged when trying to give Bradford a more positive image, as God knows we need it.

Ruqayyah Collector, (former MYP Bradford West), Kirkham Road, Bradford

l EDITOR'S NOTE: The T&A, in fact, encouraged the setting up of the Youth Parliament for exactly that reason. Community cohesion, however, is only one aspect of life in Bradford and district. Our Comment expressed disappointment that its activities have so far been largely not in the public domain and that the opportunity to have a real impact on local issues was being missed. We hope the new parliament will address both issues.

Pair of lost causes

SIR - Gary Lorriman (T&A, January 20) once again predicts the imminent implosion of the EU, and urges Britain's withdrawal ere the apocalypse engulfs us.

Wearing another hat, he is also well known in these columns for his advocacy of the death penalty.

Given these two hobby horses, I would hope that if Mr Lorriman ever prays, he offers up special supplications to St Jude because, as most pub quiz addicts will confirm, St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes.

Peter Wilson, Thornhill Grove, Calverley.

All that glitters...

SIR - I see the price of gold has reached its highest level for 16 years - £454.20 per Troy ounce.

Many will have forgotten that in 1999, when this present Labour Government came into power, Gordon Brown sold 75 tonnes of gold for conversion into euros and other foreign currency.

On the first sale he got £261.20 per Troy ounce for 50 tonnes and then in late September another 25 tonnes netted £255.75.

A letter I received from Chris Leslie MP dated August 27, 1999, stated: "The UK can comfortably afford to cut back its gold holdings. It makes perfect sense to review the country's portfolio of asset holdings and when nearly 43 per cent of our net gold and foreign currency reserves were held in the form of gold, it does not seem unreasonable to want to diversify."

Chris Leslie was a new MP in 1999 and followed the party line - one wonders what his stance now would be if one had invested in gold in 1999 to show a profit of £199 per Troy ounce in five and a half years - 56.17 per cent? Gordon Brown sold the gold for euros and other currency - what gain has he made?

Tony Caunt, Birchlands Grove, Wilsden

Shameful decision

SIR - The decision of the Home Secretary to allow the Yorkshire Ripper out of prison is symbolic of the way Labour puts the rights of criminals before the rights of victims.

Peter Sutcliffe is an evil man who committed horrendous crimes. He forfeited the right to outside visits when he murdered his victims. That is what the Home Secretary should have told him.

I would also be interested to know how much it cost for Peter Sutcliffe to be taken to the Lake District. Another prime example of how Labour wastes taxpayers' money.

Although I disagree with him on most issues, it would be churlish not to congratulate Terry Rooney for being the one local MP who has unequivocally criticised this shameful decision.

Philip Davies, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Shipley, Hartlington Court, Baildon, Shipley.

'Stolen' pennies

SIR - Re the decimalisation controversy in your readers letters, I have a true story to tell.

Many years ago when I worked in the debt recovery department of a local water authority, I had to write to a gentleman concerning his increasing arrears.

A few days later he telephoned to say he was 84 years old and the Government had stolen more than half his money and that was why he was in arrears.

When I asked him how that had happened, this was his reply:

'One day, for every £1 I had 240 pennies. Then decimalisation was introduced and suddenly every £1 I had was worth only 100 pennies (8s 4d). So that means from every £1, the Government had stolen 140 pennies (11s 8d). What happened to it?'

And that, he argued, was why his account was in arrears.

Although I was many years younger, being mathematically challenged, I couldn't refute his logic as it made perfect sense to me.

We did, however, come to an arrangement to reduce his arrears.

Over the years his reply has continued to bug me as I still think that he was correct.

So I am hoping one of your readers, who isn't mathematically challenged, can explain, in very simple terms whether or not the gentleman was correct, and if not, why not?

Mrs Elisabeth Guy, Bronte Old Road, Thornton.

Can you help?

SIR - I am trying to trace my relatives. My great grandad was John Lydell, born 1845, and his mother, my great-great grandma, was Sarah Lydell.

John was born in Beeston, Notts, and moved to Bradford then to Halifax, where my grandad was born to John's second wife Mary Alice Winn.

My grandad was one of a twin (George Lydell) who had seven children.

During the early 1900s my grandad changed his name to Lydall, having seen a brass name plate on Lion Chambers building across from Huddersfield Railway Station.

Can any of your readers help me with my research?

Dave Lydall, 73 Brockholes Lane, Brockholes, Holmfirth, HD9 7EB.

You're so kind

SIR - I am writing to thank the kind, honest and considerate person who on Friday, January 21, between 3.20pm and 3.40pm, on Albert Road, Saltaire, kindly smashed the driver's side wing mirror from my silver Skoda Octavia.

I would also like to ask if anyone witnessed the incident as then I could personally thank the perpetrator myself!

Carol Knight, Poplar Drive, Shipley.