PARTY FUNDING: REGARDING the cosy discussions between Messrs Blair and Cameron whereby the public will subsidise the election campaigns of these two financially-seedy political parties.

This has come about due to the underhand loans they have received, which appear to have been disguised donations. They will, of course, ensure that the public funding benefits these two parties to the detriment of other fringe parties.

However, if the money is based upon votes received at the last election, as is suggested, then all parties which stood will get some financial support.

This means that those of right-wing persuasion will now have to fund the election campaigns of the Respect Party, Communist Party, Socialist Party, Green Party, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Sinn Fein, Labour Party and Liberal Party, while those of left-wing leanings will be required to fund the campaigns of the UKIP, BNP, NF, DUP, Conservatives and English Democrats.

At least it will keep the foreign donors out of British politics, which is about the only benefit public funding might bring. - Mark Anderson, Middleton St George.

PARKING CHARGES

NIGEL Boddy (HAS, Apr 5) may not want a residents' parking scheme in the Cleveland Avenue area of Darlington, but we certainly need one in Stanhope Road.

If I drive anywhere during working hours on any day but Sunday I am unlikely to find a parking space near my house on my return. My space will have been snapped up by a long-term shopper or worker avoiding the high car parking charges in the town centre. I just hope the new version of the residents' parking scheme, which we have not been shown, provides enough spaces for all of us who live here.

I agree with Mr Boddy about the adverse effects of the high charges on town centre trade. Writing as the owner of the Health Warehouse in Post House Wynd, I suggest that not only should the council lower its charges to make them comparable with other nearby towns, it should also charge on exit, not entry.

In this way shoppers would be more relaxed and stay in town longer, without the need to rush back to their cars to avoid going beyond their allotted time. - Mike Barker, Darlington.

MR Boddy (HAS, April 5) needs to carry out a more complete survey before making statements about car parking in Fife Road. I, for one, have experienced considerable problems with parking and would welcome a residents' parking scheme.

The on-street parking of cars is a problem which will not go away by ignoring it. Using the roadside for parking removes from various parties - town centres, colleges and hospitals etc - the necessity and costs of providing parking spaces.

The result is an ever-growing deterioration in the quality of street cleaning, repairing of the road surface etc, resulting eventually in large costs to the council tax payer who will be required to pick up the tab when the results of ignoring the problem become more evident.

I and many others see a residents' parking scheme as a step in the right direction. - Barbara Sutherland, Darlington.

AMERICA WELCOME

WHY does Hugh Pender (HAS, Apr 7) hold such a grudge against the US? Not content with the fact that they and ourselves have helped to liberate Iraq from tyranny, he continually moans about the war in Iraq.

He stated that Condoleezza Rice and "acolytes" from the Bush government are not welcome in Great Britain, and that millions of us Brits do not wish to see them in our country. How untrue.

On Condoleezza Rice's recent visit to the UK only a handful of anti-everything demonstrators gathered in Liverpool and Blackburn. While they were on the streets banging their drums and blowing their peace whistles, millions of us Brits welcomed the sight of Condoleezza visiting our country, just like we did when George W Bush came over here a couple of years ago.

Mr Pender should get over the fact that the Republicans are still very much in power in America, and that their representatives will always be welcome in Great Britain. - Christopher Wardell, Darlington.

PACIFISM

ARGUABLY the principles and wishes of peace activist and hostage Norman Kember should have been considered before attempting to free him in Iraq at significant risk to the lives of both rescuers and kidnappers.

It seems reasonable, however, to have dealt robustly with the latter as they also posed a potential threat to non-pacifists.

Closer to home, we are perhaps more reliant on the option of using violence than some would wish to recognise. Without it, how would the police arrest and detain criminals?

Strict pacifists might consider putting a plaque on their house requesting police not to intervene if burglary, or worse, is being perpetrated. - John Riseley, Harrogate.

DOLPHIN CENTRE

I READ with interest the recent edition of the Town Crier and, in particular, Councillor John Williams' epistle to Darlingtonians.

He detailed the "exciting plans" for the refurbishment of the Dolphin Centre - at a cost of £5m - which he said attracts more than a million visitors each year. He then states that this is the "equivalent of every resident of Darlington going there ten times a year".

I can't fault his mathematics - presumably he is using 100,000 as the total population of Darlington.

However, I suggest a more realistic calculation would be to use the costs of £5m divided by the total population which equals (if my maths are correct) £50 per head. That is £50 for every man, woman, boy and girl living in Darlington.

Perhaps, if the million visitors were each to pay £1 then the total cost of the refurbishment would be raised in five years, without raising the council tax. - R Elliott, Darlington.

INGLEBY BARWICK

IN his letter about a proposed business park (HAS, Apr 5), Mark Lee is incorrect in stating that Ingleby Barwick has always been designated for housing.

Most of the south side of Ingleby Way was offered to Nissan for its car plant and that was after housing had already been built on the north side.

However, I do agree with him that proposed developments will cause traffic problems. - C Young, Thornaby.

TEESDALE BYPASS

AT LAST, a bypass for Teesdale - on the information superhighway, that is.

The district council's web page on "Becoming A Councillor" offers "information... below" above a large blank white space, and a "right-hand navigation column" to the left of a large, white - you've guessed it - blank space.

Mind, blank spaces just about sum up Teesdale District Council. - John Lewis, Gainford.

HOSPITAL BOUQUET

I FEEL I must comment on a recent visit to the Friarage Hospital, Northallerton. From the time I spoke to the out-of-hours, on-call doctors, the rapid response of the very kind ambulance team and the care from everyone at the hospital was truly excellent. This includes the Friends of the Friarage for their gift pack - a really nice gesture in an emergency. - Joyce Rutter, Richmond.