SIR — I am absolutely incensed by the general attitude of certain manufacturers and companies wanting to extract money from some members of the public.

One such issue is where you find a scratchcard which you rub off and, of course, everyone is set so that you have three symbols or such and you have won anything from say £10,000 or a lower prize.

But the rules and regulations, in so small a print you can hardly read them, say claim calls cost £1 a minute for about five minutes.

What I don't understand is who gets the phone money? Are these firms in league with the telephone company?

Another gripe is about subsidies to various private companies. I really can't understand why the taxpayer should pay private shareholders money to jack up a badly managed company, the boss of which often gets a £1m payout for his bad management.

Certain people are always running down the National Health Service, but in my lifetime I've been glad of it.

In the last ten years I have had two new hip replacements and other minor services, and I think the nurses, doctors and other staff in all the hospitals I have been in were wonderful people.

I have never found any of these people anything but helpful, caring and kind.

The NHS should get rid of all the private money-grabbers such as agencies and then they would have more money to pay all these NHS workers and attract more people in the service.

Finally, could I make a comment about driving standards?

When I take my old car out on the road, I need only go about a quarter of a mile before some lunatic is within six feet of the back of me. As soon as the road is clear I slow down and let them go by.

Every time I go to or through Williton, from the end of Withycombe Straight to Dragon's Cross I always have a queue of cars behind me. Of course, most of this stretch is a designated 30mph section, but all these drivers want to be front in me.

Speed limit signs make no difference to a lot of drivers - you could put up a 5mph sign and they wouldn't slow down.

There is only one answer - to physically stop them with road bumps on every estate in the country. And I think the police should have hidden cameras everywhere and impose large on-the-spot fines.

One child's life is worth more than one irresponsible idiot.

R M Stockley,

Bremis Road,

Dunster Marsh.