Letter: Disruption of European Community business is a misuse of powers

Sir: Commissions and governments do not eat beef: people do. John Major can surely not be naive enough to imagine that the lifting of bans will put one sirloin steak on the dinner plates of the people of Europe - and other parts of the world - until they have the clearest evidence that it will be perfectly safe to eat.

That recovery of confidence will be measured in months or even years rather than days and weeks, and is unlikely to be accelerated by the almost universal feeling, both here and abroad, that the assertions of both experts and politicians are not to be trusted.

ROBERT H PARRY

Malvern, Worcestershire