I'VE come to the conclusion that Mr Blair believes in government by stealth, whether it's privatising the National Health Service or persuading us all to be cremated instead of buried.

The latest idea is to subject a straight standing memorial stone to a force of 35 kilograms. A stone about 2ft 6ins high isn't meant to withstand this sort of pressure and tends to move. Any owner must get a qualified memorial mason to make it safe, which may cost between £100 to £300. Why use a field as a cemetery, which needs maintenance, when you could build another block of flats or a car park which produces revenue.

D R Archer

Swindon