NOW it's out in the open. Senior Conservatives support a plan to make repealing the ban on hunting with dogs acceptable to voters and the general public.

These plans to reintroduce hunting foxes, stags, hares and mink have been drawn up with the backing of senior Conservatives. Details of the controversial scheme include the creation of a Hunt Regulatory Authority (HRA) to monitor the behaviour of hunts.

The plans were drawn up by lawyers and the Countryside Alliance, and have the blessing of many high-profile Tories including William Hague and shadow justice minister Edward Garnier.

Well, what a novel idea, especially following the banking crisis where the hunters regulate themselves. I wonder how this new authority would manage issues on dogs. Normal dog owners are required by law (the Control of Dogs Order 1992) to have identification tags on their dogs and clear up any mess they make, and of course keep them under control at all times. This does not apply to any pack of hounds or any dog being used for sporting purposes.

Laws, ancient and modern, protect hounds and their masters from prosecution for offences which, if committed by lesser mortals, would result in them being arraigned before a court.

For example, The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 exempts a pack of hounds from the offence of being at large in a field of sheep, whereas your dog could be shot by the farmer if it worried any livestock.

On a more serious note, why can't we have one law for everyone regardless of wealth or class.

Many hunters and supporters like to state the fox is classed as vermin by the Government and so they need to destroy this pest.

The Agriculture Act 1947, section 98, empowers the minister by notice to require that any person takes such steps as are necessary for the destruction on land, specified in the notice, of rabbits, hares, rodents, deer, foxes, moles and certain wild birds.

As I understand it, this is a power held in reserve in case any of the animals or birds specified are considered to have become a serious pest. I believe no minister has ever found it necessary to issue a notice in the case of foxes over the last 62 years of the act.

Fox hunting is just a sport where wildlife is killed for the enjoyment of the riders and supporters.

Graham Forsyth

Somerset

Disease care good

FOLLOWING your article "NHS 'failing' patients with muscular dystrophy" (WMN, August 25) I would like to reassure your readers that the report to which your article referred stated the NHS in the South West was leading the rest of the country in the provision of services for patients with neuromuscular conditions.

We are obviously pleased the plans put in place have been so well received by this respected group. PCTs across the South West are looking forward to implementing this improvement in services for patients with neuromuscular conditions. The improvement will be achieved through direct investment in additional specialist clinical staff along with the appointment of the additional care coordinators who will ensure patients and their families are able to access all of the general and specialised health and social care services they need.

The coordinators have been appointed and we are looking forward to them starting later in the year along with the network manager who will help us manage the delivery of the overall plan and will support our future work.

The work we have undertaken over the last 18 months has provided valuable learning about how to really involve patients and families in our work and is now being applied in other service areas.

Louise Tranmer

Director of Commissioning, South West Specialised Commissioning Group

Strategy not working

RE the story "US commanders call for Afghanistan troop boost" (WMN, August 25) – one must ponder the wisdom of this.

America is a big country but it is also still a relatively new country; and still, with a lot to learn.

It is worth recalling it was not so many years ago America was openly supporting terrorists in Northern Ireland.

Oh yes, certain sections of America's upper/middle communities saw the IRA as freedom fighters and held functions – balls, fundraising events – to finance the IRA's arms requirements.

The lesson the Americans have yet to learn apropos this is that Ireland saw terrorism spread over nearly 400 years, waged betwixt the two major religious groups, Catholics and Protestants.

It is terrorism that the Americans are up against in Afghanistan and it will not be overcome, beaten or even contained, by the ever popular gung-ho policy of America to "crush" by force with the further deployment of hundreds, maybe thousands, more troops.

America may well have successfully eliminated its indigenous population, but it certainly won't work on Afghanistan terorrists.

Peter Mahoney

Hayle

Nuclear fears

A RECENT letter from your prolific correspondent Martin Bell provided interesting geographic and population statistics associated with the safety of nuclear submarine work in a United States shipyard.

A pity his proof from the other side of the Atlantic does not help the unease about nuclear work felt by some living near Devonport's Naval Base.

And this is not caused, as he guessed, by CND politicking, but by more rational thought.

The risk, although low, is real – otherwise why have I, living outside the Plymouth district, been given a nuclear emergency booklet and a supply of potassium iodate tablets?

Morny Spurling

Torpoint

Time to listen

A VERY interesting poll from First News recently asked 1,000 youngsters what their priorities would be if they were a world leader for a day.

Some 17 per cent would wish to stop climate changes, 43 per cent would want to stop wars and 27 per cent would want to wish for end to world hunger.

In some ways a lot of us adults could learn from them it seems.

The opinions of the young are important as at times are those of the letter-writing brigade (me included) who air ours.

Paul Raybould

Torquay