SIR - I thank Philip Bushill -Matthews (Letters, December 9) for pointing out that MEPs voted by a huge majority in favour of a report which would totally alter the inheritance laws in this country yet this vote has no legal force and - therefore - was totally irrelevant.

If that is so, why did they waste time and, almost certainly, money voting on the report? It would make far better sense for the detail to be discussed and voted on when the proposals come before the EU Parliament as he suggests. Though given MEPs are only allowed to speak for 90 seconds I can't see how even the fastest speaker in the world will be able to analysis the detail.

One can therefore assume that the proposal, which clearly has majority support from the rest of Europe and will be studied in an EU committee in which the UK has a lone voice, will be introduced to Parliament with minimal changes and will be approved by the block voting system that exists there.

Mark Starr, Leigh Sinton