One of the principal factors in the problem of staff recruitment for the health service and teaching professions in the south east is the cost of housing, as commented on by Bromley Hospital's Mark Rees in your paper.

Consider then, two young people, both employed by the NHS, looking to buy a relatively modest three-bedroomed, detached house in the Bromley area, who are being called on to pay more than £7,000 in stamp duty on the purchase contract.

This iniquitous and grossly unfair tax on a comparable property in other parts of the country would amount to no more than £1,500, simply because of varying market prices and the way the tax is calculated.

So once more, the wealthy south east is clobbered.

Small wonder local health and teaching organisations face staffing problems.

B J Etheridge

Queensway

West Wickham