MEMBERS of Parliament still don't make use of e-mail, according to a survey published last week.

The preferred choice of MPs is still the letter, despite the huge surge in e-mail use among millions of constituents.

MPs need to be encouraged to make use of e-mail more. After all, that's what the rest of the nation is doing.

Having a home computer and access to an e-mail account is now pretty normal for many families, especially those with children of school age.

In theory, all Members of Parliament have an e-mail address in the format membername@parliament.uk, but sadly there is no guarantee that your MP uses this address.

A small minority have used the internet from the early days, and have their own long-standing personal e-mail addresses.

Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans (www.nigelmp.com) has a very simple and clear web site and one of the most famous MP sites is Anne Widdecombe's (the "Widdy Web") at www.annwiddecombemp.com.

There is a full list of all MPs - and their e-mail addresses, where available - at www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/alms.htm.

If MPs can't adjust to the modern lifestyle, they're going to find it more difficult to interest people in politics and fight the growing voter apathy that showed itself at the last General Election.