Sir,

With the reference to the recent election for the Welsh assembly Government, I would ask the question 'Why do we need regional members? We have 40 well defined constituencies where members are elected by the first past the post system and these elected members are answerable to their constituents who are able to vote them out if they are not satisfied by their performance.

In addition to these 40 members we have 20 regional members who are elected by a form of proportional representation system known as the d'Hondt formula (which I dare say that few people have ever heard of) which has been devised, mainly, to ensure that the minor parties, who have won very few or even no seats in the main ballot, may be able to claim seats in the WAG and may even obtain almost as many regional seats as the major parties, depending upon the number of votes cast. This form of jiggery pokery appears to be another example of the mantra of political correctness that everyone must have a prize although they have lost!

As a result of this system, we have regional members whose areas of representation overlap several directly elected constituencies, but since they were not directly elected, but appointed from lists supplied by each party, they are not answerable to the electors in the same way as the original 40 members and in my opinion appear to have gained access by the back door.

So 'Why do we need them?' Does Wales need 60 members for the WAG? Surely 40 elected members provide adequate representation.

In the recent referendum, UK voters have, sensibly rejected the nonsenical alternative vote system, so perhaps we can now turn the spotlight on the d'Hondt system, which, in my opinion, is equally fatuous.

Of course, the minor parties are entitled to have their opinions heard, but they can do this through the media, and I don't see why they should expect the taxpayer to fund this privelege.

In the present stringent financial circumstances where we read of cuts in the health, education and police services, surely the abolition of the 20 'back door' regional members (one third of the Assembly!) with the savings of salaries of members and their retinues of secretaries, advisers, researchers etc. ought to be high on the list of priorities.

Clifford Hall,

Pentlepoir.