ON A recent visit to North Wales on a short holiday, it struck me very forcibly how very different things were there to at home in Cumbria. Here are some examples:

* No potholes in the roads - not even side roads

* Waste bins everywhere

* Even the smallest village has public toilets

* Car parking in many places as little as £1 for four hours, £2 for eight hours, Pwilheli being a typical example, right on the seafront

* No charge anywhere for disabled Blue Badge holders

* Everywhere very clean and tidy and litter free

All this raises the point - do they get a higher percentage of finance from Central Government, or do they just manage their finances more efficiently?

I also understand that in Wales there are no prescription charges (I believe this is also the case in Scotland). Surely as we all belong to 'Great Britain' such things should be uniform throughout. It is not a concern for me personally as I am now a pensioner, but I feel for younger people for whom the money is hard to find on their tight budgets.

Pam Ardron

Flookburgh