THE letter from Mrs Frost claims that the closure of old people's homes is Tory policy, and once again lays the blame at their doors.

Can she explain why the previous Labour controlled council had failed to ensure that these homes were brought up to the required standard? Can she explain why costs have risen so much since 1997 that such homes are no longer viable?

Council tax since 1997 has gone up by 95 per cent, can she explain why Welsh and Scottish students pay no university fees and yet English students are expected to do so? And why the Welsh and Scottish MPs are allowed to vote on the issue?

Can she explain why tax payers' money is used to buy vehicles for Swindon Services and yet we are told at length that they are a separate unit from the council? As for privatisation, can she explain how the PFI scheme for hospitals means that the GWH has been built at double the actual cost?

That goes for 100 such hospitals and the subsequent costs, and all the while billions are wasted on useless defence projects and computer schemes.

A recent OECD report shows that we are now the biggest taker of asylum seekers in the world, can Mrs Frost tell us who is paying for these people, apart from the good old tax payer?

Did she read the report that Sheikh Abu Hamza is getting over £1,000 a month in benefits and free housing, that's why the old suffer Mrs Frost, because Mr Blair wants to be seen as a world leader.

T REYNOLDS

Wheeler Avenue