BOROUGH councillors commendably wished to support the Asian Tsunami Appeal, but I am relieved that they are not pursuing their idea of making a donation from borough funds.

The legal advice which deterred them is almost certainly correct. Local authorities' powers and responsibilities are defined by law, partly to protect people from the excesses which have sometimes marred local government in the past.

We can, and should, respond individually to the appeal, but it is for central government, not local government, to direct tax payers' money into relief work in Asia.

THE Halifax's end of year report on house prices and the labour market locally makes interesting reading.

House prices at the end of last year averaged £199,539 (an eight per cent increase on the previous year) in the Basingstoke constituency, £237,180 (up nine per cent) in the South East and £176,780 (up 12 per cent) in the UK as a whole. There was not much difference in the average ages of first-time buyers: 31 (Basingstoke), 31 (South East), 30 (UK).

In December 2004 there were 613 unemployment claimants in the constituency (0.9 per cent of the workforce, down 158 on the previous year), 67,259 claimants in the South East (1.4 per cent of the workforce, down 6,740) and 803,029 claimants nationally (2.2 per cent, down 81,617).

I AM glad there is growing awareness of Holocaust Memorial Day. This year the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz gave it particular poignancy.

It is appropriate that one day a year in particular we should remind ourselves of the depths of the depravity of which human nature is capable and determine that the horrors of the past are never repeated.