I READ with increasing amazement the full page advertisement in the Hereford Times, January 21 issue for WISH which has "been developed in response to the local authority's duty to provide information ... to support people's independence ... under the care Act 2014". It all seemed so familiar and then it came back to me! Until the local authority abandoned its duty under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to provide a comprehensive and efficient library service, the services outlined for WISH were provided by a first class reference library, manned by professional librarians, in Hereford City and also in other branches of the county library. This, of course, is Tory ideology implemented merely to destroy public services.

Incidentally, sir, much as we appreciate reading, as we did in last week's issue, your support for local communities who come together to provide services which the local authority has abandoned, I cannot feel that the cause of public libraries, which you are inclined to support, is in any way enhanced by dignifying a telephone box with the name "library". I am not sure where our MPs loyalties lie with regard to public libraries; Mr Wiggin may be happy to pop into a telephone box to pick up something to while away the tedium of his non-executive director's meetings, but from the royalties received by Mr Norman I imagine he would be grateful if some of his books were to find a place on the shelves of a public library and so become available to a wider public.

F A MILLIGAN

Church Road

Hereford