16 MAY 1969, Page 30

Consumer's choice

Sir: Mr Thompson, on it being pointed out (Letters, 2 May) that he has made an invalid analogy, cannot avoid the fact by admitting, in effect, that he, not I, failed to compare like with like.

To assert that because a state enterprise re- quires an overall levy without regard to choice or availability of the services offered, this pro- vides a better deal for the consumer than enabling him to buy and pay for what he wants, when he wants is a nonsense. The intro- duction of the red-herring issue of commercial radio is wholly irrelevant in this context. Frederic Bennett House of Commons, London SW I J. W. M. Thompson writes: I now have no idea what point Sir Frederic is making but I feel pretty sure it has nothing to do with any- thing 1 have written.