Letters: Charity at party conference

Sir: The article "Greer smoothed path for DHL" (3 October) is generally a balanced account, but I must take exception to the tone in which our work at party conferences is referred to.

Chris Blackhurst refers to our speech service as a "wheeze". This service not only helps delegates to absorb detail contained in the speeches, but also raises considerable money for charity. This is the first year of the service at the Labour Party conference and we expect to raise about pounds 2,000 for the NSPCC. It is the fourth year that we will be attending the Conservative Party conference; we would again anticipate raising more than pounds 2,000, this time for Mencap.

It would be a great shame if the service was not as successful as it should be, because delegates had been led to believe this was a cynical attempt to buy undue influence, rather than a genuine provision of necessary information, benefiting a good cause to boot.

GLYN JONES

Commercial Director, DHL

Hounslow, Middlesex