If theatres do not operate in this way it is because they choose not to, preferring rather to keep their options open to cast some “name”, perhaps, from television or films. Actors have been put under contract for a year (I hope some may stay longer), and over that time will perform in at least six of the nine plays that go to make up the year’s work. It is not more expensive to do this than to cast on a play-by-play basis. I pay someone to look after them while I am away and I shall never take them with me.JOSIE EDWARDSLondon, N10. Sir: The Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, Surrey (neither in central London nor in the regions, alas, so do we count?), has a permanent company of actors, performing plays in repertoire for comparatively short runs.

Those demanding change are exploiting the new self-disgust, largely engineered by the media, that all and any British procedures and institutions are inefficient, time-expired and probably racist.I have two cats and a house in France which I visit for ten weeks every year. Any transgression produces a flurry of tests and very painful jabs.
Is this really what we want here? In future will we be terrified of feeding the squirrels in the park, or rescuing a sheep trapped in barbed wire? We have a moat round our country which has served us well. A walk in the Black Forest may involve admiring the view but never, never approaching an animal, wild or tame, and however sick or distressed. In France, the unofficial rule of no rabies north of the Loire still holds, but Germany has a long border with east European countries much of which is wooded, with wolves and bears still in existence As a result, German rabies controls are draconian. She is wrong, however, to say that the threat of rabies is diminishing. There is no evidence that rabies has reduced in Mediterranean countries. Sir: Suzanne Moore (“A few of my pet hates”, 25 September) addresses the way the arguments about rabies control have been hijacked by a handful of loud-mouthed, self-interested, middle-class pet owners.

What matters is that all participants will have learnt something in the process – including those who are there as leaders and helpers, as I know from experience.
I am not sure what he means by “right-wing success theology” – perhaps he isn’t either: but he must be challenged to explain these remarks, and either justify or withdraw them.PAUL DUELLSouthampton, Hampshire. Of course Alpha will result in some people joining the Anglican communion: others will seek out other Christian denominations, yet more will decide that the church isn’t what they are looking for. Nor is Alpha designed as a recruitment drive for the Anglican Church Alpha is an opportunity to learn more about Christianity. I do not know where David gets his information about Alpha, but it certainly doesn’t come from the current edition of the course manual, unless I have badly misread it. Sir: The Rev David Broad (letter, 24 September) describes the Alpha course as embracing a “dangerous, right-wing success theology”, not representative of Anglican teaching.

But if the electorate get AV-plus foisted on them, is there not a risk that they will turn against PR altogether? And will we be blamed for supporting it? Would it not be better tactics to oppose any alternative short of STV?Some of us think that our leader’s presence on a Cabinet committee makes it still more likely that we will suffer from being seen to support a rotten system.BILL SMITHNottingham. Worse, the proportional seats are in the gift of the parties. In short, it is also a rotten system, but less rotten than FPTP.The argument among Liberal Democrats is whether to support the expected AV-plus system against FPTP. We know that there is a strong movement against FPTP in the country as a whole. This is not a proportional system, but can be adapted to be roughly proportional by “topping” it up with proportionally elected (non-constituency) MPs from a party list (AV-plus). This has numerous drawbacks, not least that not all MPs have a constituency to represent. This is not only because it hurts us (we have learnt how to turn it to our advantage and it is now hurting the Tories too), but because it forces people to vote against what they do not want, rather than in favour of what they do want; and because it forces the parties to pander to the swing vote in marginal seats.
We are all in favour of the single transferable vote (STV) because every vote counts; because the parties cannot control which of their candidates the electorate selects; because it gives a roughly proportional result; and because every voter has a choice of MPs to whom he can take any problem.Most of us accept that, because of Labour Party prejudices, the Jenkins Commission will probably recommend an inferior system, the alternative vote.

We are unanimous in the view that first-past-the-post (FPTP) is a rotten system. Whether parents think it appropriate to do as much for their infant sons is a matter for them.CHARLES TURPINLuxembourg. Sir: I am less than impressed by what Donald Macintyre has managed to garner about the views of the Liberal Democrats on voting reform (Comment, 25 september). I too was at Brighton, but I failed to pick up the views he claims to have heard. I paid pounds 1,100 for my own operation four years ago, and the improved hygiene, comfort and convenience are worth it.