Letter: Growing too fast

Under a Labour government we were told that we needed immigrants to pay for our pensions. This was proved to be an unmitigated disaster for our welfare system, social housing and the NHS.

Now the European Union executive have said Europe will need more people to pay for the pensions of an ageing population and have proposed that the minimum maternity leave in EU countries should be raised by six weeks to a total of 20 weeks (your report, 22 October). They hope this will boost flagging birth rates. Businesses are already struggling in this harsh economic climate and need no more unnecessary costs. Employers will stop employing young women and either employ men or older women.

The world population is 6.5 billion. Unsustainable. We do not need any more people in Europe. In the UK, the numbers now are 61 million and will increase to 70 million by 2028, driven by immigration and their much higher birth rates. We are already an overcrowded country and need to limit births not increase them.

CLARK CROSS

Springfield Road

Linlithgow, West Lothian