Madam,

Mrs MacIntyre, wife of the Labour candidate, has been visiting Blaenau Ffestiniog and, three years after the closure of its Memorial Hospital, she regrets this decision. Indeed, it was a Welsh Labour government decision to close it, so why is the wife of the Labour candidate complaining? Her party was responsible. It may have been the right decision in economic terms but its loss is certainly felt, not least its radiography unit, and one must question whether every option for its continued use as a building was fully investigated by the Welsh Labour government. Her outline of its history and the sacrificial giving to create it show an admirable community spirit at work in the past. This should be renewed. If there is, indeed, a possibility for it to accommodate respite care and hospice-style care then we should all support this provided the building is, or can be made, suitable for modern regulated standards. This would certainly involve local effort to fund-raise, and create a volunteer base of support. Might there be a possibility for private sector involvement and funding or would this be anathema to the Labour orthodoxy?

Yours etc

Neil Fairlamb

Conservative candidate, Dwyfor Meirionnydd

Tan-y-bryn

Fairbourne.