Letter: A benefit for the employer, but not for the jobless

Sir: I hereby claim Matthew Symonds' money on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. He says it will go to the first party to pick up Professor Snower's ideas on tackling long-term unemployment and turn them into a full-scale national programme.

We did, in our alternative budgets in 1992 and 1993 and will be reiterating the proposals, together with many others, in a paper on employment policies to be published next month. We will take cheque or cash, and use it to promote the policies]

Yours faithfully,

ALAN BEITH

MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed

(Lib Dem)

House of Commons

London, SW1

The writer is Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman.