THIS Millennium Dome business is getting ridiculous. Yet another lump of our money is given to the fat cats who know how to milk the system.

It has been said that to close the Dome would cost more than to keep it open. I cannot see how this would be so. If the Dome has no money left, then all these clauses written into contracts - where closing early would incur some penalty - become null and void, because there is no money to pay them.

Also redundancy payments only kick in (in the real world) once you have worked for an employer for at least one year: this would not be the case for many of the Dome workers - therefore no costs would be incurred.

So to close the Dome now would save the need for another £47 million to be spent.

One final question - after all these handouts more than £100 million, how come Nomura are buying the Dome for only £105 million when it is surely worth at least £650 millon?

Jeremy Banyard,

Bramham Grove,

Acomb,

York.

...ON one hand we are told that another £47 million is being given from the Government to the Greenwich flop, on the other that City of York Council is going to have a £3 million shortfall in its budgetary requirements next year.

To quote Rod Hills "more cuts were on the way, largely because of the poor financial support for the council from the Government".

For the last two years we have been the subject of repeated promises of billions of pounds being poured into the public services. The police and the schools funded out of grants from the Government and Council Tax are supposed to be better off. But there are many schools in York that will have had to lay off teachers for this year because of lack of funding.

York is a so-called Beacon Council, a name that suggests it would have qualified for extra funding. Obviously, from Rod Hills' statement about funding shortfalls, it really means a licence to burn money instead of using it sensibly.

Another benefit of being a Beacon Council is that the council is able to levy an increase of an extra percentage on the Business Tax. Next year it will be increased by about eight per cent for York businesses - this goes to a central fund to be shared out to councils throughout the country.

On top of this the council will be able to levy an extra four per cent next year and two per cent for each subsequent year up to the five year cycle of the rate review. This will cost jobs in manufacturing and service industries and will certainly put up prices in the shops.

David K Marsh,

Millfield Lane,

York.

...THE flagrant misuse of lottery funds to which you draw attention reflects the sorry spectacle of a Government which has lost its way and fallen prey to indecision and ineptitude.

Many of us who voted Mr Blair into office three years ago may not prove so obliging in future if his administration does not soon take a grip of itself.

Mark Wade,

Shipton Road,

York.

...I KNOW I shall never ever need the Dome but regarding St Leonard's Hospice, well, who knows? I am only too pleased that I am not a subscriber to the National Lottery.

A L Rowntree,

Walmer Carr,

Wigginton, York.