G SMITH (Letters, August 26) has an unusual knack of always getting the wrong side of the coin.

It's very doubtful that Treasury was deprived of any so-called "huge profits" generated by the nationalised industries, whose main occupation seemed to be looking after their own welfare first.

They were so inefficient that it was costing £500 million per week of taxpayers' money to subsidise them.

Through the common sense policy of putting them into the market, they are now net contributors to the Exchequer, providing cheaper services of a better quality. And what rubbish it is to suggest that the Government is now taxing the dustbin.

Again, it may surprise to Mr Smith that this is a common sense tax.

As the landfill sites rapidly fill up, something has to be done with the waste and the simple answer is to recycle it, which in itself generates savings.

So the imposition of this tax will concentrate minds on recycling.

WALT MEADOWS, Whalley New Road, Blackburn.

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