I have personally argued with him in the past when he assumed, quite wrongly, that young girls are getting pregnant in order to acquire a council house for themselves.

I find it nauseating that he assumes that children from middle class families behave differently from their peers. I would expect him, as Junior Health Minister, to know about the high level of substance abuse - be it nicotine, alcohol or drugs - that prevail across all social classes in our society today. Sad but true.

In fact, in homes which Mr Sackville likes to call middle class - where money is more readily available - children are far more at risk from temptations.

I presume that Tom is looking for votes from his middle class constituents - whilst inflaming the council estate tenants who do not support his views - and who could blame them?

I feel he discredits the Tory party with his pathetic and disturbing views from someone holding high office in Central Government.,

Pat Clark

Charles Holden Street, Bolton

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