I CAN only speak for myself, not knowing the full circumstances of other pensioners, but I must agree with Mr Bayley that this Labour Government has done a lot for me pension-wise.

I was never fortunate enough to be able to attempt to buy a house, although I can sympathise with those who have to sell theirs in old age. For many years, I had no income, and at pension age my necessary total of NI stamps was far short of that needed to qualify for a full pension. While the Tories merely promised to convert our fuel allowance to a weekly payment, (with no increase), this Labour Government quickly introduced the Minimum Income Guarantee, which entitled me to full state pension.

As a poorer pensioner, they did help me a lot.

From what limited knowledge of history I have, it appears we only get a pension at all, (as a "right" and not charity of variable amount), largely through the Labour Governments we have had. To organise such a vast undertaking so every individual qualified gets his money, without fail, every week, is to me a great accomplishment. I think they have done a magnificent job in this alone. But for them, I would have nothing now, so I am not going to complain about the amount - it is far more than what people got, relative to cost of living, when I was young.

With reference to this Iraq war, although war is always a terrible business, I think all people should be free from religious dictatorship, and so, from the information we are given, feel if ever a war were justified, the present one is.

I would remind those who blame this Government that, as far as I know, the Conservatives support, and would execute, the same policy. We need not only freedom of religion, but the right to freedom from religion.

Mr D Dawson, Clifton, York.