SIR – It’s been suggested that the Government is going to allow councils to give mortgages to help the housing market.

I think this is a good idea, but they should open the market still further and allow the big supermarkets to deal in mortgages as well.

What it needs is a lot of healthy competition because most of the building societies have turned themselves into banks and are reluctant to lend money

JOHN SHEARON,

Worcester.