The research strengths of Winchester staff are reflected in the national Research Assessment Exercise where we have several groups recognised as conducting research

The research strengths of Winchester staff are reflected in the national Research Assessment Exercise, where we have several groups recognised as conducting research of national and international excellence.Professor PAUL LIGHT University College Winchester BBC and Jerry Springer Sir: The BBC has always been a relentless opponent of self-appointed and unaccountable minority groups that seek to impose their moral views on the rest of us. Most WFP beneficiaries are women and children, as well as people affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic.Your article describes the situation in Victoria Falls. The vast majority of our operations in Zimbabwe are in the provinces of Matabeleland, Manicaland and Masvingo – the areas of the country worst affected by food insecurity. What’s more, the Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing found that the methods used in the seal hunt compare favourably to those used to hunt other wild animals.The hunt is closely monitored and tightly regulated, and Canada’s enforcement of sealing regulations is thorough and comprehensive.MEL CAPPE High Commissioner for Canada London W1 Zimbabwe food aid Sir: Jeremy Gordin and Daniel Howden are quite wrong to say that “the food aid that has poured into Zimbabwe from the World Food Programme in the last two years never seems to reach Mr Mugabe’s opponents” (“Fear and loathing on the road to Harare”, 16 March).WFP’s policy is to provide food to the most vulnerable. Seals are not skinned alive; following death, the animals often undergo a series of nerve-reflex convulsions mistakenly interpreted by some as indicating that they are still alive.The most recent Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Report indicates that Canada’s seal-hunting methods are humane.

London SW9 Seal hunt in Canada Sir: I refer to your article on the Canadian seal hunt and would like to draw your attention to some of the facts (“Canadian waters stained red by baby seal cull”, 31 March).The seal hunt is a sustainable activity based on sound conservation principles, with a herd in excess of five million animals – nearly triple what it was in the 1970s.It has been illegal to hunt seal pups since 1989; only independent, fully-weaned animals are taken. Stamps should, quite rightly, focus on remembrance, but this needs to be balanced with all aspects of our history incorporating culture, past and current achievements and our social diversity.RICHARD QUINLAN. As recently as 2001 the Royal Naval Submarine Service was remembered. Last year Royal Mail went further back in history and issued Crimean War stamps and this October, stamps depicting the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar will be on sale. Battle of Britain stamps were issued in 1965, Royal Air Force stamps in 1986 and D-day remembered in 1994.

He resigned because he believed, erroneously, that his prostate condition was more severe than it was.PETER GRESHAM London W14 Stamp of approval Sir: J Samuel (letter, 31 March), should take a look at the history of commemorative stamps which shows that battles fought sixty years ago have indeed been remembered in the past by Royal Mail. At the time, we all saw George Brown and Ray Gunter and, for a while, Frank Cousins, as sharing that role in the Cabinet.Harold Macmillan was not “brought down” by people he trusted. I saw him on a couple of occasions shortly beforehand and he was as sharp as ever. It was certainly not, as Barker asserts, the cause of his resignation.Barker says that Callaghan was the “keeper of the cloth cap”. Peter Jay was appointed by the hapless and hopeless David Owen some time later.Further, though there has been some idle and unsubstantiated speculation, there is no evidence that Harold Wilson had experienced any signs of Alzheimer’s when he resigned in 1976.