They will be concerned that Trevor has slammed the door so aggressively on the most poorly funded of London’s middle-scale companies, mocking the genuine concern of others as “a sort of Wagnerian fury”.MATTHEW FRANCISArtistic DirectorGreenwich Theatre, London. And the 51,000 people who visited our theatre last year will feel excluded by his statement that the audience for theatre “has disappeared from south- east London”.
As mayor, Trevor will need to argue the case for investment in London’s infrastructure. Greenwich Theatre receives less than a quarter of the subsidy quite rightly given to the Royal Court and less than half the money that goes to the excellent Stratford East (though last year we took more at the box office than either of these).The capital is full of small groups and struggling communities who will expect his support and encouragement. He should try to be mayor for all London, not just fashionable enclaves north of the river. His endorsement of the London Arts Board’s decision to cut our theatre and deprive south-east London of its only repertory theatre doesn’t suggest much interest in areas beyond Rotherhithe. The Greenwich Theatre wishes Trevor Phillips luck with what looks like his bid to be Mayor of London.

His article (24 January) telling arts practitioners not to bother central government for even a modest improvement in their low levels of funding will have earned him valuable brownie points at Westminster. But we have a few tips that may improve his chances with the voters. If that is not convincing enough, I suggest they study these people munching their way through the contents of their trolleys on the way to the car park

S C COELHO
Teddington, Middlesex. A much cheaper way of conducting their research would be for scientists to stand at supermarket checkouts and observe the contents of fat peoples’ shopping trolleys – an abundance of crisps, snacks, chocolate bars, fizzy drinks etc. I was bemused by Jeremy Laurance’s article (Fighting the flab: it ain’t what you eat, or is it?, 30 January). Should this sort of biographical study be censored, then Sir Oswald will not be the only one guilty of fascist behaviour.PETER BARLOWAbu Dhabi.

May I reply to the view A J P Dalton gives (Letters 28 January) of health and safety conditions in Britain’s coal mines?

The past 50 years have seen a significant improvement and this is continuing. Since the inception of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive (HSC/E) the enforcement of regulations dealing with control of respirable dust, noise and hazardous substances has greatly improved miners’ health protection. I agree that miners have suffered the scourge of lung diseases since coal was first mined. Nevertheless, it was not until research was instituted by the Medical Research Council in 1936 that coal dust was recognised as a primary agent. The first controls were introduced by the National Coal Board in 1949.
The pounds 1bn compensation referred to by Mr Dalton relates to respiratory diseases other than pneumoconiosis, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema.