It behoves doctors, clerics and parliamentarians to take note of this.RICHARD BRYDENSWANSEA When the police have to shoot Sir: While any fatal shooting by the police is a tragedy for the person killed and their family, I am at a loss to understand why it is assumed that such events should result in criminal charges against the police officers, and that there is some failure of justice if they do not (report, 21 October).As I read the statistics and the brief case studies, it seems that over the past 12 years the police have killed fewer than three people a year, practically all of whom were presenting themselves as armed and dangerous. Nothing could be further from the truth.Not only was Mme Badinter fully consulted before any approach was made to Aegis, but she fully backed M L? and the management board in their strategy. Now we have increasing choice being force-fed to us in health, education, transport, pensions, telephone services, digital broadcasting and just about any form of human activity and relationship that is not superglued to the floor.Meaningful choice requires adequate information and good knowledge of the available alternatives. If Tony Blair and his court of private advisers wish to load any more choice on this citizen's shoulders he is going to have to provide a living wage so I can sit at home conducting the necessary research to make those choices meaningful.
I cannot afford to work full time and take realistic advantage of all this choice.DAVE HANSELLSHEFFIELD Total transparency the rule at Publicis Sir: In articles on our decision to renounce making a formal bid for Aegis, both Jeremy Warner (Outlook, 15 October) and Saeed Shah suggest that our CEO, Maurice L?, failed to consult the chairman of our supervisory board, Elisabeth Badinter, about acquiring Aegis - and that she was opposed to the approach. Farming produces a surplus, and with this comes the temptation to steal your neighbour's crops rather than working every day to grow your own food.STEPHEN ARTHURYORK Too many choices, too little time Sir: All this diversity of choice is making my head spin ("Kelly to 'bus' poor children to school in wealthy areas", 18 October).It was bad enough having to spend increasing amounts of time conducting consumer research on utilities in addition to the increasing plethora of traditional consumer goods to ensure that I do not get ripped off. The crises faced over funding delays may be part of the explanation.CAROL THORNTONGOXHILL, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE Appeal for Pakistan earthquake victims Sir: On behalf of the people of Pakistan and Kashmir as well as the Government of Pakistan, I would like to thank you and your newspaper for publishing an earthquake appeal in 12 October.The appeal was a timely reminder that the devastation caused by the earthquake in Pakistan was unprecedented and that the task of rehabilitation would require sustained and focused efforts, as underlined by your clarion call: "This is no time for compassion fatigue."Once again thank you very much for your initiative which, I am confident, will go a long way to provide relief to the earthquake victims.DR MALEEHA LODHIHIGH COMMISSIONER HIGH COMMISSION FOR PAKISTAN LONDON SW1 Peaceful peoples of the desert Sir: Robert M Sapolsky claims that living for thousands of years in deserts caused humans to develop militaristic, stratified societies ("Culture clash", 19 October).How does he account for Aboriginal Australia where for 60,000 years society was egalitarian, family centred and without war? What about the 99.9 per cent of our ancestors who appear to have lived a relatively egalitarian hunting and gathering life in all types of environments?Jared Diamond in Guns, Germs, and Steel suggests that the spread of farming had a much greater impact on human societies than any environmental factors. Will the PAC also demand that the Government sorts out the problem of its own departments hanging on to cash which they have agreed to award to voluntary-sector agencies?As a worker for a council for voluntary services I have encountered such problems. He assured us that things were improving, with deaths by police shooting down to 31 in the 14 years 1985 to 1999.Six years on: 18 further people shot by the police Up from two a year to three a year. No wonder confidence in the police and the judicial process slumps.MARY PIMMNIK WOODLONDON E9 Funds hoarded by the Government Sir: The Commons Public Accounts Committee has demanded that the Government get a grip on the problem of National Lottery cash "languishing in the bank" ("£2.4bn of lottery funds 'hoarded' by distributors", 18 October).
For instance, the CPS has presumed that a jury would not reasonably conclude that misconduct which resulted in death was formally gross misconduct and has therefore exonerated the two officers who shot our neighbour Harry Stanley.In a letter you published from the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority on 23 October 1999 he assured your readers that the doubts we had expressed in our letter to you of 15 October 1999 about the robustness of Surrey Police's approach to this case were unfounded. But the decision to prosecute or not prosecute is not a political one; it is a decision taken in accordance with the law and on the evidence.LORD GOLDSMITH QCATTORNEY GENERAL LONDON SW1Sir: Holding the police to account when they kill people, or when people die in their custody, seems to be virtually impossible.In part it is a matter of the multitude of institutions who have powers and responsibilities in such cases : coroners' and criminal courts, the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the Crown Prosecution Service.But even without this confusion, the mindset of those who operate these systems gives cause for concern. They are not, for example, a matter for discussion in Cabinet.The classic statement of the position was made by Attorney General Shawcross as long ago as 1951. He made it clear that, in deciding whether or not to authorise a prosecution, whilst it would be open to the Attorney to consult with any of his colleagues in the government, "the responsibility for the eventual decision rests with the Attorney General, and he is not to be put, and is not put, under pressure by his colleagues in the matter".The death of Harry Stanley was a tragedy and I have all sympathy with his widow and family. In some cases Parliament has entrusted the Attorney General with the responsibility of making prosecuting decisions. But what is also commonplace is that all Attorneys General have acted independently of other ministers in making these decisions.
