Letter: What Colombia can teach us

Sir: Tristan Garel-Jones, MP (Letters, 31 July) commends the government of Colombia for opening political participation and transferring many powers and responsibilities from the central government to local elected authorities.

I was privileged to be invited to help the Colombian government in the devolvement of education and health services to local government. I was able to fortify the government in its resolution by an objective description of the consequence of the reverse process carried out in this country by the government of which Mr Garel- Jones was lately a member.

I hope Mr Garel-Jones commends to his colleagues in Parliament the desirability of local democracy as based on his Colombian experience.

Yours sincerely,

RODNEY BROOKE

Secretary

Association of

Metropolitan Authorities

London, SW1

2 August