THE county social services' department is in debt to the tune of some £4.6 million and many have questioned why the debt was allowed to grow so large before action was taken.

Evidently, Health Minister John Hutton, whose remit is also social services, has indicated that he might support a bail-out which would at least ease the pain of some of social services' vulnerable clients. It so happens that Tony Blair has also indicated that he thought the amalgamation of the social service budget for elderly people at least under health was a good idea. This is a proposed policy decision not universally supported in the profession or possible by patients/clients themselves if the full implications of such an amalgamation were debated in public.

WENDY HANDS, Upton-upon-Severn.