23 MAY 1981, Page 18

Claude Cheysson

Sir: Sam White's comments from Paris on potential recruits to the Mitterrand cabinet thoroughly scrambled the credentials of one contender (16 May). The 'former Common Market Commissioner' he mentioned is not former but very present. He is called Claude, not Pierre: and his surname is spelt not Chesson but Cheysson. M Claude Cheysson is the Commissioner for Development and has been highly successful in the matter of promoting French interests in the Community's aidand-trade policy in the developing world. If he does swap Paris for Brussels, quite a lot of people will be happy to see him go, particularly those Commissioners with less attractive portfolios.

Richard Cottrell, MEP Cornbeside, Back Lane, Croscombe, Wells, Somerset