Letter: Downing Street art

Sir: I had understood that the Government Art Collection existed for, among other things, the furnishing of prime ministerial apartments with works of art. By what right does Mr Blair presume to purloin paintings from a public collection ("Revealed: The `trendy' art chosen for facelift at No 10", 18 September)? And will he allow free public access to them during normal museum opening hours with, perhaps, late-night opening on one evening a week?

MICHAEL ROSENTHAL

Banbury,

Oxfordshire