The public also has the right to hold Mr Ho accountable for his statements, that they can be proven and are not just slanderous comments.

Likewise, former commission chairwoman Anna Wu Hung-yuk should not put herself above public scrutiny as she held a very public job. That she should think she's beyond public scrutiny is arrogant and self-righteous.

Name and address supplied

Q Is a heliport on the Wan Chai waterfront a good idea?

It's an excellent idea and an ideal location. The proposal put forward by the government has one site in this same area of the waterfront at Wan Chai - for Government Flying Service helicopters - and a civil helipad in Western.

Why have two helipads - especially when the one for civil use is in such an awkward location, and close to a residential development?

As far as I can remember, Hong Kong always had a central helipad, used by all.

The military (Royal Air Force), the Auxiliary Air Force and private operators all used the same facility, until the latest reclamation near the old Tamar site forced the move to a temporary location in West Kowloon for civil operation.

The Government Flying Service now uses another site near the yacht club. This heliport would be a permanent asset to our waterfront and would put Hong Kong on the map as having one of the best heliport facilities in the world.

Name and address supplied

Q How can the government tackle the public laundry problem?

It is easy to see laundry around housing estates across the city. The living space there is limited, and people cannot afford the cost of buying clothes dryers.

Despite the threat of a severe penalty, residents can only dry their laundry in public, and when the weather permits. In order to make the penalty an effective deterrent, the government should increase it.

The government also could subsidise citizens to buy and install clothes dryers, so that they could dry their clothes at home instead of in public.

C. H. Lee, Kwun Tong

On other matters ...

The issue of suicide in Hong Kong and how our society responds to it has attracted debate in your columns, most recently regarding possible restrictions on the sale of charcoal. Research suggests that a significant proportion of suicide attempts are spur of the moment, and can be lessened by making the means less accessible and by providing a resource for suicidal people to talk over their problems.

The Samaritans have a suicide prevention hotline with volunteers from all walks of life. We offer emotional support to the suicidal, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We have been doing this in Hong Kong continuously since 1973. Last year, we answered about [25,000] calls. We need about 100 active Samaritans in our branch to maintain a 24-hour service. The pressure on Hong Kong people, volunteers included, means there is considerable turnover. We also want to increase our volunteer base to ensure all suicidal callers are heard.

The commitment is not small, but when a caller says, 'I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been there', it seems time well spent.

The Samaritans

Many streets in Tsim Sha Tsui have been ravaged by construction in the past two years or so as the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation expands the railway network. The streets have been a real mess and the whole environment degraded. Some of the backstreets near Chatham Road have deteriorated to such a low standard that they are no longer inviting places to go and even a bit scary at night. And this is our main tourist area!

Compare that with Causeway Bay where the new landscaping and pedestrian areas have improved the whole area.

The Planning Department and Transport Department must realise by now that these relatively simple and inexpensive measures create real improvements to the quality of living. If only these improvements could be given a higher priority over the major reclamation and road projects that seem to be loved by engineers. Something must be done to improve Tsim Sha Tsui and Central and the sooner the better. Let's see some real action on the recent proposals - the man in the street deserves it.

Lee Lai Ying, Happy Valley

While government officials and many residents eagerly await the opening of Disneyland, spare a thought for the unfortunate dogs that have proliferated on the Penny's Bay site on Lantau.

These are currently being rounded up for removal with very young puppies among them. Illegal keeping and indiscriminate breeding are perennial problems on construction sites throughout Hong Kong. We wonder why the government, and also Disney, has not been more probative in preventing this shameful situation. In future, perhaps the government might consider inserting an animal-management clause, requiring registration and mandatory sterilisation of all site dogs, into future contracts.

J. Green, Protection of Animals Lantau South