Sir – A few weeks ago you published a letter from me about foreign aid.

I would like to say that our politicians must think that this country we live in is called El Dorado.

How can a nation ring- fence foreign aid, then slash defence spending?

This foreign aid to India leaves a lot to be desired. The auditors have discovered that monies sent in aid has been pillaged by corrupt officials within India.

India’s auditor general has found out that about £70 million of aid money is missing – money that was donated for school projects. Tens of thousands of pounds were allocated to 2,369 schools that did not exist.

This is British taxpayers’ money being paid into private bank accounts. The single largest recipient for UK overseas aid is India. Between 2003 and 2008 it benefited from £1 billion in aid from the British taxpayer, and Gordon Brown agreed to give India another £825 million by 2011.

How can politicians justify this and with the stroke of a pen, cut hospital beds, cut funding to schools and cut heating allowances?

JOHN WHITE, UKIP, Evesham