ALTHOUGH the present government's stated aim is decentralisation, bringing government agencies within reach of everyone so that we can easily seek help and advice or make a complaint, in actuality, they are hell bent on centralisation.

Thus community health councils will be abolished and replaced with a patient liaison service based on hospital trusts.

There will be fewer hospital trusts (six for the North West) and just one mental health trust for Lancashire, making the patient liaison service more remote.

After April 2002, social services will no longer be responsible for registering and monitoring residential homes for the elderly. This function will pass to a central agency.

Likewise, from October 2001, registration of child minders and nurseries will pass from social services to Ofsted, functioning regionally.

In future, it will be very much more difficult to seek help, advice or register a complaint, whereas at present it is possible to telephone or visit a local agency or enlist the help of councillors locally. Government will become more remote.

EDMUND CRITCHLEY, (Liberal Democrat councillor, Mill Hill Ward), Merlin Road, Blackburn.