WHAT has happened to the fair society our Prime Minister keeps telling us about? Or is it like all his policies: that society is only fair when it suits the Government?

Even though I feel sorry for the people who have received too much tax credit it is not fair for Mr Blair to write off £1.9 billion pounds of taxpayers' money (June 22).

These unfortunate people should be made to pay the money back in instalments just the same as those who have underpaid their income tax which, in many cases, is the fault of the Inland Revenue.

The Government tells us this problem has arisen through a computer error.

Don't they know a computer only works according to the information that is fed into it?

The people responsible for this error should either resign or be sacked for incompetence.

After all, in private industry that would be the outcome.

This should include all ministers responsible for the departments and the civil servants who advise them.

This would make for a fairer society that Mr Blair is always telling us we live in.

T J Ryder,

North Lane,

Dringhouses, York

Updated: 10:52 Saturday, June 25, 2005