My recollection of events was that the Benefits Agency were ceasing payments through the PO network by 2003, therefore placing the then 18,000 local post offices into possible closure due to loss of such business.
After some considerable pressure and effort by organisations representing pensioners in particular, and many enlightened MPs, the Government set up the PO Card Account system.
This has assisted many postmasters to continue in the business of serving their community.
We now have the Government Minister Dept Works and Pensions admitting in a House of commons debate that the PO Card Account system would be scrapped after seven years and that this fact was perfectly clear when introduced.
Are these representatives living in the real world that many of our pensioners have to face day by day during their latter years?
Banks and building societies are closing their local offices thus leaving older people, the disabled and vulnerable groups with no local means of financial support other than the post office.
Seek your MP's support in questioning the present government on this important issue before another benefit is ceased.
RON THOMPSON, Pensioner - Leeds PO/BT Pensioners, Wells Croft, Leeds

Dental care forced back to the 30s
I wholeheartedly sympathize with Liz and William Gill. My family are in exactly the same situation having been informed this week that our family dentist will no longer offer NHS treatment to our 2 children (12 and 14 years).
He has explained his action in a very reasonable letter and I can see why he is taking this stance.
In the past few years we have changed dentists twice because of the increasing difficulty of finding NHS provision.Our NHS dentist went private about seven years ago blaming inadequate funding for NHS work. Five years ago I heard of an NHS dentist taking adult patients so I moved the family to that practice. We received treatment there until 2004 when the dentist left and was not replaced for over 12 months.
In frustration I tried to find another NHS dentist but could not find anyone taking new patients within reasonable travelling distance. I registered the family with a local dentist who took my husband and myself on as private patients and agreed to treat my children under the NHS. This dentist is now refusing to treat my children other than as private patients.
Even if we were able to find a new NHS dentist (how likely is that?) what sort of service will they be able to offer given that they are likely to be hugely over-subscribed. I would like to know how Leeds PCTs justify the hard line stance they have taken on the issue of children and NHS care. It seems that we and goodness knows how many other families will have to find hundreds of pounds to pay for what seems to be a purely idealogical decision.
I agree we are being taken back to the 1930s when people saved up to have all their teeth out so they did not have to face crippling dental charges.
Lesley Cresswell, West Park, Leeds

Plea for a pen-pal from Yorkshire
May I make a brief request for a pen-pal or text friend.
I am housebound at the moment and would love to hear from anyone, any age, in your area who needs a good friend, also to write to or text and share mutual interests.
I am a man in his early 50s, a writer, house-bound with many interests.
I love cats, nature, mysteries, countryside, garden, reading, nostalgia, the night sky, art painting, cooking, paranormal, UFOs, plus many other things.
I live in my own house with two lovely cats in a beautiful peaceful country village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
I would love to hear from down-to-earth people to be my pen-pals or text friends and brighten up the many lonely hours by writing or texting.
I would love to hear from people in your area or anywhere at all.
My text number is 07716 030786.
MR ROY NORTH,16 Nelson Park, Fivemile Town, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, BT75 0QQ

Someone catch the litter louts
Reading about 'Litter Capital' (YEP Feb 24), I feel exactly the same. New Farnley where I live is a lovely place but spoiled by litter. But it's not the council's fault. It's the litter louts who drop it.
I pick up litter every day but you can bet there's some more shortly after. At the top of Coach Road drivers park and have snacks and takeaways, dump the litter and drive off.
It's just catching them.
In the village where the club shop and doctors are there is rubbish everywhere. There's bins around, just some of it gets in.
M SIMPSON, Coach Road, Leeds

Stop these calls from abroad
After being swamped by phone calls since Monday February 20, all day and evening, I am told by BT that these calls were from international sales people and BT could do nothing to stop it.
As I am writing this letter, I have had two calls in 10 minutes. I have tried leaving the phone off the hook but we need to have it in use. I am at the end of my tether listening to ringing all day long.
Surely this day and age something could be done to stop the calls.
MRS B RICHARDSON, Town Street, Beeston, Leeds

Euro fears
A recent report quoted the value of the euro as 66p per euro. This proves that in no way could this be acceptable in this country as this would make the poor even poorer.
£200 becomes £120!
Everything would almost double in price. The entire economy would end in total chaos.
How about some reassuring words from our elected councillors on this subject?
J SHEDLOW, Moortown, Leeds

What are the city's marketeers up to?
i read with interest your recent article about the council's inability to get its act together so that Leeds got its share of profits from the London Olympics.
What did strike me was that the council spent loads of our money setting up a marketing company before Christmas and I wondered what it had been doing since its glitzy launch?
Surely it should be working with local businesses to make sure Leeds is in the best position to get the most out of the Olympics.
Coun Harris, who is quick to trumpet the success of the council at every opportunity, needs to let us know what this marketing company has been doing since it recieved thousands of pounds of taxpayers money.
Tim Williams, Ebor Gardens, Leeds

'Dead hand' of ancient regime
Coun Wakefield's resistance to the proposed airport sale (YEP Feb 22) is the dead hand of the ancient regime breaking into present day realities, only to delay progress, dampen spirits and darken the wide-blue horizon.
In the political sphere, the majority is always right. This axiom was brilliantly and chillingly encapsulated in Ian McLeod's dictum "it can be wrong to be right at the wrong time."
Every other authority has sold off. Even were it to prove disastrous, all would be affected and safety and redemption assured by The Collective.
Government seeking scapegoats, victims and easy targets will go for the outsider, the solitary and the identifiable.
Leeds should have learned this through its individualistic approach to transport funding, and the abortive sad experiences of prestige facilities.
PAUL KILROY, Spennithorne Avenue, Leeds

Water, water everywhere...
It beggars believe that at this time of year we are hearing talk of hose pipe bans.
Have politicians never heard the word desalination?
According to my dictionary it means "The process of removing salt from sea water".
We are an island so why can't we build some desalination plants as do Mediterranean countries?
Peter Moore, Priestley Drive Pudsey