IT alarmed me recently when I observed the reactions of people living in social housing on television. They were petrified of the impending changes to tenancies, allocations, and housing benefit limits.

These were not, by and large, individuals living the life of luxury at the expense of the taxpayer. I believe this is exactly what this Government wants, but the view of fear is not solely exclusive to this Government; Labour and Liberal Democrats have similar views.

I believe a great many of the policies on housing rules being implemented are a result of a majority of MPs never having the direct experience of social housing.

In the days gone by, many social housing estates were not a world where a new tenant has to pay 80 per cent of the market rent to fund new build.

Let the governments of the past 30 years tell us what they did with the five per cent of capital receipts from the sale of council homes that was supposed to go towards partnered new builds.

Who spent the money and why should the new tenant carry the can?

Kendal Wilson, Wharfebank Terrace, Tadcaster.