IN which country does Mr Ian Holland live? Letters, April 14. It's certainly not the United Kingdom if he thinks that things keep getting better. Is it really better to have 1,000,000+ people on Zero hour contracts? Are these people really in work? I think not. But let's continue this analysis:

We have children as young as four needing psychiatric help because they are suffering from depression and panic attacks. The Conservative Government's response? More vigorous testing leading to more children of primary school age committing suicide. Are things really getting better?

Legislation now exists which makes criminals of parents who take their children on holiday during term-time but of course this does not cover private education. Are things getting better when parents are not treated equally?

I'm beginning to believe that this country does not actually like children. Corporal punishment was only banned in 1997 thanks to a Labour government but it was banned in prisons in 1948. Do we really love children?

Children taken into care are often separated from their siblings. They can be sent to different foster parents and some are moved several times in a year. They need stability and knowing what is happening to them.

The NHS has to pay community charges but private hospitals do not. All three political parties believe cutting beds is the best way of saving money and fining hospitals that do not achieve targets. In reality we should be making management redundant.

If you're on disability benefit you are made to jump through hoops and if the benefit can be reduced or even stopped all the better because it may upset people in work if it looks like you're getting more than them. But millions of pounds are paid to private companies to assess these people and they get it wrong more times than they get it right.

Of course we all want the atomic bomb because we want the power to commit mass murder. I know I sleep better at night knowing that my government can kill millions but by then I'll be dead too.

I will leave you with this thought; Finland pays a living wage to every adult and I think we should try that here. Pay everybody a yearly income of £10,500. Anything they earn above that is then taxed at 25%-45%-60%. Close down the Department of Work and Pensions which costs billions to run for very little benefit. If this idea was adopted it would keep on getting better.

Ian Greenhalgh

Smithills

Bolton