CURRENTLY the Japanese Government is taking measures to limit the de-stabilizing influence of so-called 'hedge funds'. These funds undertake the practice of selling a stock that an investor does not own with the intention of buying it back later at a lower price. Such activity brings anarchy to financial markets and bore much responsibility for the decline in the Japanese economy.

I should like to know MP Ruth Kelly's position on 'hedge funds'. Does she support the free market acceptance of 'short selling', or, like me, would she prefer to see 'hedge funds' regulated out of existence?

Anthony Makara,

Broadwalk, Westhoughton.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.