JUST what is Home Secretary Jack Straw doing? When Labour came to power two years ago, we had some 29,000 individuals seeking asylum in this country. How many have we now? - 71,000, the majority of whom will eventually be sent home as their claims are bogus.

And who, in the meantime, is paying for their extended holiday in Britain? We, the taxpayers, that's who.

While accepting that there are some genuine cases - and I have no objection to their circumstances being looked into - Britain is obviously now seen as a soft touch.

The shameful pandering to minority groups, with the recent proposal to drop the year suffix AD (Anno Domini) in favour of CE (Common Era) can only reinforce this "come for a free holiday" attitude.

With millions being spent on supporting the scroungers, rather than hospital beds, it is no wonder the sick people of this country are unable to get the treatment they need and deserve.

Come on, Mr Straw, if the Tories kept the queue for asylum to fewer than 30,000, and the Socialists in Germany have got their last year figures down by three per cent while you and your department have let ours rise by more than 50 per cent, just what are you doing to justify your pay?

Or are you on a holiday at the taxpayer's expense, too?

R PICKUP, Pinewood, Feniscowles, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.