JOHN Timbrell's letter last week about European immigration deserves a reply to correct some serious misconceptions.

For instance, John blames uncontrolled immigration for our housing problems but we haven't had uncontrolled immigration to this country for many decades.

John says our hospitals are under stress from medical tourism but medical tourism is estimated to cost 0.01 per cent of the NHS budget: a truly tiny amount.

Immigrants to this country do not come to exist on charity. They come to work. Yes they usually come to improve their lives in some way, but they take less from the welfare budget than UK citizens and make a net contribution of around £3bn a year to the government's income. 

It's also worth noting that the UK's experience of international migration is pretty average. The movement of people between countries is increasing all over the world. The number of people living in the UK who were not born here is nearly equal to the number who were born here and now live somewhere else.

We want our young people to be free to travel, work and study abroad if they wish and we want them to be made welcome. It's a two-way street: we should welcome young people from other countries who do the same. That's what the free movement of people within the EU is all about.

Engagement and co-operation are the way to achieve results, and that is just as true at the European level as it is at the local level. UK consumers and UK businesses have benefited enormously from the single market and harmonisation that the EU has provided. If we weren't a member, our exporters would still have to meet EU standards but would not be involved in setting those standards. (Businesses in Norway know how that feels.)

We share a magnificent common heritage with our European partners. In this increasingly interconnected world we also share a common future, so let's play a positive role in shaping it.

– David Kennedy, Ellwood.