SIR — In last week's Free Press, Cllr Stokes quoted me as saying at a recent meeting with West Somerset District Councillors that I felt it was my duty to represent the concerns of all my constituents.

He is quite right, I do believe that — but I also said that it would be impossible for me to agree with the views of all my constituents, some of whom want to ban hunting, others don't.

In Parliament, I will represent the concerns that some have over the economic impact of a ban on hunting on Exmoor, but that won't change my view that it should be banned in the interests of animal welfare.

Jackie Ballard,

MP for Taunton Constituency.