Sir – Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell (Report, January 15) is quoted as having actually said: “It is quite clear the Environment Agency and Health Protection Agency are the appropriate legal organisations to carry out independent assessments. They have carried out that task on all of the proposals for incinerators that have been made over the years in Britain. We will rely on their expertise in these matters”.

Poor deluded Keith and his misinformed buddy Roger. Do they really believe that the Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Environment Agency (EA) will conduct independent local health assessments? Of what? Of local health risks? It’d be a first.

Can the councillors point to any other independent HPA or EA assessments carried out anywhere, ever?

Do these democratic representatives not know that the Health Protection Agency (HPA) carries out no local health studies whatsoever? The HPA only ever sends a copy of their standard reply. No need to wait for it, you can read it now. Just go to www.hpa.org.uk for their position statement.

That is all you are ever going to get from the HPA. Indeed, it is all you can expect from your Primary Care Trust and all.

The Environment Agency also carries out no local health studies.

Don’t believe me? Ask ‘em! Request copies of any/all local health studies carried out by either the HPA or the EA, anywhere in England.

Better yet, ask councillor Mitchell to provide the evidence to support his claim that the HPA and the EA have carried out independent assessments on all of the proposals for incinerators that have been made over the years in Britain.

Shlomo Dowen, National Co-ordinator, United Kingdom Without Incineration Network (UKWIN), Mansfield