CONGRATULATIONS on your campaign for business and commerce. It is long overdue, though pressure has been building for some years for industrial and commercial regeneration. How else can York be motivated into actual practical solutions?

Finance is available from such as Yorkshire Forward and Business Link has an increasing profile. I don’t, however, see a thrusting co-ordinated active drive as yet.

I note that the retail fraternity are hoping to help each other survive the recession. Perhaps they might look at what they sell and where it is made. If all we can buy is imported (often cheaply produced and profitably priced) that will not help local and national manufacturers.

A reasonable balance of imports to exports has to be a priority, and anyone “exporting” goods and services beyond our boundary contributes more positively to York’s revenue than shops surviving on cheap imports and businesses selling to each other.

Phil Crowder, York Road, Haxby, York.