WITH just six days left to decide where you will place your vote on May 1, Citizen readers have been putting the leaders of the three main parties to the test.

We invited you to send in your questions to be personally answered by John Major, Tony Blair and Paddy Ashdown and here we reveal what they had to say. Mr Dowie, a senior citizen from Morecambe asked John Major about getting a fair deal for pensioners. Mr Major said: "I accept that those whose sole income is the state retirement pension may find it difficult to make ends meet - though of course a wide range of benefits do exist to support people in their old age. The state pension is not intended to stand alone and the fact is that out of ten pensioners have a second source of income. The Conservatives have increased help to less well off pensioners and we will continue to do so."

Mrs Griffiths of Lancaster was concerned about rising levels of crime and wanted to know why, after being the party in power for the last 18 years, the Conservative's crime policy was still failing.

Mr Major said: "Crime is falling in Britain. Indeed the fall over the last four years - meaning 500,000 fewer crimes - is the largest on record. Nevertheless, crime is still too high and we have proposed several measures to reduce it further. We are spending over £500 million a year in the fight against drugs to cut supply, reduce demand and tackle the health risks."

Class sizes was the concern of Mrs Helen Hornby of Morecambe, who has to travel to Slyne each day to get her daughter into a class with less than 30 pupils.

Mr Major's replied: "It is, as I am sure you understand, difficult for me to comment on particular circumstances. But I can say something about class sizes. An independent Ofsted report in November 1995 found no simple link between class size and the quality of teaching and learning. Some of the best LEAs in test and exam results have larger class sizes. We believe that action which directly improves teaching methods is more effective."

Finally, with the likes of road protester Swampy in the headlines, Mr Daniel Westnutt of Lancaster asked Mr Major if he would join protesters if there were plans to build a new motorway at the end of his garden. The Prime MInister replied: "Probably yes! No one would welcome a motorway at the bottom of their garden. What is important is that proper democratic procedures exist to resolve such issues and a Conservative Government will ensure that these remain."

Labour leader Tony Blair received the most questions from local readers. Mrs Sylvia Denton asked how Mr Blair felt about the Government's imposition of a prison in Middleton despite local objections.

Said Mr Blair: "I sympathise with local feeling. Among the many problems we will inherit from the Tories if we win the trust of the people on May 1 will be a record prison population and still rising. The reason the Police Service say we need new jails is because of the Tory failure on law and order which has seen crime double since 1979. There are no easy answers. But if we win we will undertake a full review of the prison service."

Mr Wainright of Heysham wanted to know where the new jobs Labour had promised were coming from.

"There will be four pathways: a job with a private sector employer who will be offered a £60 a week subsidy, a job with a voluntary sector group, full time study for an approved qualification and a job with Labour's environment taskforce. All these options would have a strong training element. There would be no fifth option of staying at home on full benefit," said Mr Blair Mr Elder of Heysham asked about the minimum wage, which he feared would destroy jobs. Mr Blair replied: "It costs taxpayers £4 billion to subsidise low pay through in-work benefits. We believe it is right to protect people against poverty pay and ensure good employers are not undercut by those who exploit their workers. So does almost every other civilised country including the United States. The USA's recovery has seen 12 million jobs created in recent years which has not been hampered by having a minimum wage."

Mr Blair has been criticised for sending his child to an opted out school and Mrs McGregor wanted to know his true views on selective education.

The Labour leader replied: "My goal is to give everyone the option of sending their children to a good school. That is a choice denied to many parents after 18 years of Tory rule because there are too many failing schools. Under our plans, every school, not just grant maintained, will be given control of a minimum of 90 per cent of their budget and the freedom to develop their own distinctive character. All three of my children attend state schools. If we win the trust of the people on May 1, I will be the first Prime Minister in our history to have their children at state schools."

The Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown was quite definite in his answer to a question by Mr Frankland of Bolton-le-Sands about tactical voting.

He said: "I would urge you to vote for what ever you want most - to cast the most effective vote for you. Tactical voting is a way of life because of our rotten electoral system - it wouldn't be an issue in a fair system. But one thing is clear, if you want free eye and dental tests or an extra 3,000 police on the beat or extra investment in schools then the only way to get them is to vote for us. In many areas it is only the Liberal Democrats who will make a difference."

Mrs Wray of Scotforth wondered what the Liberal view was on the Trident missile system.

Said Mr Ashdown: "We will maintain Britain's overall defence capability at its current level. We would retain Britain's basic nuclear capability through the Trident submarine force until such a time as international multilateral nuclear disarmament can be achieved."

Like Tony Blair, Mr Ashdown was quizzed about selective education.

"I oppose Conservative plans for wholesale expansion of grammar schools. But we would leave it to each locally community to decide on the issue locally. We believe that individual schools should be given as much independence as possible and that better decisions are made when parents, teachers, the community and pupils are directly involved. The issue of selection is really a distraction from the real issues in education such as who will provide the resources to invest in smaller classes, new books and equipment, nursery education for all 3 and 4 year olds, better training and adult education. - only the Liberal Democrats offer that extra investment."

Finally, with Labour's lead in the opinion polls falling, the prospect of a 'hung parliament' would leave the Liberal Democrats in a position to influence the balance of power. In such a scenario, Miss Coleman of Lancaster wanted to now if they would push for electoral reform.

Said Mr Ashdown: "A hung parliament is statistically unlikely. If it happens all parties will have to work to promote secure and stable government. But whatever the outcome we will work to implement the policies in our manifesto , opposing measures with which we disagree and working with others where it is in the national interest."

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