Economic concerns need discussing
Last week, Peter Hain claimed that my view of an Institute of Directors (IOD) report on government savings as “excellent” constituted current Conservative Party policy.

He was, to quote the late Alan Clark, being somewhat economical with the actualité.

The report is an independent apolitical analysis that demonstrates where any government, Labour or Conservative, could reduce its expenditure at a time when we have an annual deficit that is currently running at £167bn or 11% of GDP, roughly the same level as Greece.

The IOD is not alone in believing that government expenditure should be reduced.

Even the Chancellor of the Exchequer recently admitted that, if re-elected, he would introduce cuts deeper than those experienced in the 1980s.

Does that now make Mr Darling, to use Peter Hain’s own words, an “Uber-Thatcherite”?

Instead of political spin, there needs to be a grown-up debate about how this nation recovers from the deepest recession in living memory.

Rather than engaging in what is best described as student politics, Peter Hain should address the real issues facing the Welsh economy, such as why, after 13 years of Labour “investment”, we remain the poorest region of the UK; why, with 133,000 adults out of work, we have the highest unemployment rate of all the UK nations; and why our manufacturing base, which actually rose to 28% of Wales’ economic output under the Conservatives, has now declined to 18% since Labour came to power?

Those are the real economic concerns that should be discussed at this election, not the smear, spin and innuendo that has, unfortunately, characterised this Labour Government’s time in office.

It is the least that the people, and the businesses, of Wales deserve before one of the most momentous general elections of the past 30 years.

PROFESSOR DYLAN JONES-EVANS
Chairman, Welsh Conservatives Economic Commission

Development interest
SIR – So DPP planning consultant Gareth Hooper thinks (Western Mail, April 7) that there is a window of opportunity for developers to sneak in new housing and factories on greenfield sites before a new LDP (Local Development Plan) can be put in place.

We at the Cardiff Civic Society do not share his view. The LDP was a mess from start to finish and just ignored the recession and environmental crises already under way at draft stage.

CCS wrote to the council on January 4 about these dangers long before the deposit LDP was completed. Ours was not a lone voice either, it now seems.

For consultants that have filled Cardiff up with unwanted high-rise development in the recent past to think they can continue to do more of the same is naïve, and insulting to the residents of this great city.

The WAG inspectors were right to criticise the plan, and the council was right to withdraw, but the hiatus created should not be seen as a free-for-all for unthinking development. The housing and growth numbers assumed for the LDP were always excessive, and the recession has revealed them for what they are. The council needs to listen to the community, read again and understand the WAG inspector’s comments, and ensure that development over the next two years contributes to a vision of Cardiff we all recognise.

If we continue piecemeal, deal by deal, site by site, application by application, then we will not get the mix of housing we need.

The council has a clear responsibility to adopt firm interim policies against random developer-led growth.

The Cardiff Civic Society supports the principles of the spatial plans for South Wales, in that growth prospects should be directed towards areas less favoured by developers and which need economic stimulus. Some of our neighbouring authorities have both the need and capacity for such assistance and lack only the regional transport infrastructure that is vital to success.

Cardiff needs quality development of housing, offices, industry and public space. We need an urban transport system fit for the 21st century, and business support enablers like super-fast broadband (not even mentioned in the LDP) to support sustainable growth.

Our priorities should be towards encouragement of the many world-class industries we have here already, skills development and active support to fledgling industries, all underpinned by leadership in the carbon-reduction effort Wales has pioneered.

The LDP is not just a plan for allocation of development land: it is a process to create the city we want.

The ambitions of developers need to be focused on this, rather than on naked self-interest.

DAVID EGGLETON
Cardiff Civic Society, Pontcanna, Cardiff

Climate science
SIR – In reply to the letter from Mr Trigg of Ukip (April 1), if the science for largely man- made climate change and the policies needed to stabilise the climate are implemented and turn out to be wrong, and it is a very small if, then no damage will have been done.

In fact the lives of many will have been improved, jobs created, pollution cleaned up energy bills reduced, and cleaner forms of energy and transport created.

No harm will have been done to society, the people and the planet.

However if the science is correct, as the vast majority of climate scientists claim, and we continue with business as usual and burn fossil fuels and cut down the world’s forest, the consequences will be catastrophic.

I will continue to play my part in protecting the planet and working to improve the lives of people.

I will also continue to expose the nonsense of the climate change deniers.

JOHN MATTHEWS
Glancynon Terrace, Abercynon

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Trident waste
SIR – I was astonished to read your recent article “Welsh MP slated over 'waste of money' questions” (April 3) and the criticism of Dai Davies MP that “he is not standing up for local people”.

The real “waste of money” scandal is the idea that whichever government is elected on May 6 will earmark billions of pounds for nuclear weapons while implementing public spending cuts elsewhere.

Opinion polls regularly show the decision to replace Trident, costing more than £76bn, is opposed by a majority of the British public.

Yet while their opinion has been ignored by the leaders of all parties, Dai Davies has played a leading role, day in day out, in holding the government to account on Trident replacement, and speaking up for ordinary people's views on this matter, which he should be commended for.

KATE HUDSON
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) Chair

Trains did us proud
SIR – I attended the game Alan Speake writes about (“Late kick-off chaos” April 7) by train. The second half started at 9.01pm and was certainly over well before 10pm.

I dashed to the railway station where there was very little queuing outside.

I almost immediately went to platform 3 where there was a First Great Western special train to Swansea. At Swansea there were buses for people going to Llanelli and Carmarthen, rather than wait for a train westwards.

I had to wait for the train to Ferryside about 20 minutes later. I was in the house by 20 minutes past midnight.

That evening three trains stopped at Ferryside in the space of half an hour.

So despite the anticipated chaos both FGW and Arriva Trains Wales did me and hopefully all West Walians proud.

LES WILLIAMS
Ferryside, Carmarthenshire

Unreliable energy
SIR – Was Jane Davidson AM, in her letter about Renewable Energy (April 1), pulling an April Fools’ joke?

Our local superstore has one of Wales’ largest solar panel roofs, with a meter in the foyer showing the power currently being generated.

After teatime and on our ever cloudy days its power output is simply nil. On very sunny summer days it is rarely above a few kilowatts of electrical energy.

It is the future for our children and grandchildren that is being played about with, with a dream of costly, over-subsidised, unreliable energy policies.

IOAN RICHARD
Craigcefnparc, Swansea

In my real world ...
SIR – It is a disgrace that during a severe recession, Welsh taxpayers are forced to pay salaries well above  £100,000 a year to more than  50 county council executives.

The leaders of private enterprise have to earn every penny of their turnover  against fierce competition in the highly competitive private sector. Council executives do not. They only have to spend money, and enjoy 40-hour working weeks with weekends free, long holidays, Bank Holidays, etc.

They should try the real world of the private sector. My next day off is in November, working a seven-day week,12 hours a day – and I am 63.

L J JENKINS
Gwbert, Cardigan

Unhealthiest area?
SIR – Having lived in Garndiffaith for more than 40 years, with a large family and many friends still living in the Varteg/Abersychan area, I ask: Is the Torfaen local authority trying to become the most unhealthy county borough in Wales?

The particulate pollution potential for Varteg/ Abersychan from opencast mining in the area, given the valley geography and vagaries of air currents, is horrendous.

Unfortunately the world heritage site lying before the prevailing west-south-westerly wind, for 40% of the time, will receive the bulk of the noise, smell and particulate pollution, not to mention the heavy vehicle traffic.

DENNIS JONES
Newbridge, Gwent