The government has also indicated that every eligible contract can enjoy the waiver for two years. This seems to give room for manoeuvre because a maid's employer who starts enjoying the waiver in 2008 may extend his gain substantially for one more round by advancing the renewal of the next contract near August 2010. The potential gain from such a manoeuvre is, however, less for employers who start to enjoy the waiver at the later stage of the two-year period.

Why don't the bureaucrats present a simpler and fairer process by setting the cut-off time of eligibility by the due date of levy payment instead of the contract date? This practice can be justified on the following grounds.

First, it ensures that all the employers hiring maids in part or whole of the two-year period can enjoy the concession on a pro-rata basis and it avoids the illegitimate exclusion of those who have hired maids before September, but cease to do so before the end of August 2010. Secondly, it enables employers with existing maid contracts to benefit from the waiver at the earliest possible date.

Thirdly, it caps the claimable amount of waiver per case and avoids manoeuvres in breach of the two-year rule. Fourthly, it is administratively easier to implement. Instead of updating its record every day, the administration only has to follow the existing handling procedure and adjust the payable amount to zero on all bills that fall due within the two-year period. Similar treatment has proved effective in the concessions on rates.

C.C. Lee, Fo Tan

HK Disneyland must think big and expand

Hong Kong Disneyland has not attracted the expected number of visitors needed for projected profits. It has been plagued by negative publicity.

Factors such as economic conditions, location and environmental issues have been influential factors.

Since it opened in September 2005, it has had four main attractions, the most recent being, 'It's a Small World'. Since the beginning the park as lacked thrill rides (known as 'e ticket' rides). It has shown that it can produce unique classical rides, such as It's a Small World and setting apart the 'Jungle River Cruise' from its other versions by having a unique finale. Hong Kong Disneyland has succeeded in catering for young people.

The challenge now is to offer something to adults. For this you need the 'e ticket' rides, that will add to the roller-coaster ride known as Space Mountain.

In Tokyo, for example, there are six 'e ticket' rides and eight in Los Angeles. Expansion is vital for the future of this park.

It currently has the largest Adventureland, but with the least number of rides. Naturally, rumours fly thick and fast when it comes to a Disneyland theme park. Commentators have discussed the likelihood of adding a 'Peter Pan's Flight', 'Pirates of the Caribbean', either in an extended Adventureland or on a new piece of land.

Some say that it will be a combination of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Splash Mountain'. 'Haunted Mansion' is also rumoured for Adventureland. Finally, speculation about the inclusion of 'Big Thunder Mountain Railroad' continues, as well as talk of importing Tokyo's 'Raging Spirits' roller coaster.

Whatever Disneyland eventually opts for, as I say, the theme park must expand its operations.

Muhammad Hassan, Lantau

Heavy rain does not clear away pollutants

An official from the Observatory said that when it was raining, 'particulates and other pollutants will normally be washed away' by the heavy rain ('Thought clean air was the silver lining in rainy June? Think again', July 13).

The pollutants do not go away, they end up polluting the land, sea, lakes and rivers on which we rely for drinking water and food.

Humans are polluting our environment and by so doing endangering the well-being of our children and our children's children, and other species of life.

Believe it or not, we're doing the same thing in New Zealand but seemingly to a lesser extent.

Iain Seymour-Hart, Auckland,

New Zealand

Trend shows pollution is getting worse

The spokeswoman from the Environmental Protection Department quoted in the article ('Thought clean air was the silver lining in rainy June? Think again', July 20) continues the department's campaign of misinformation by claiming that air pollutant concentrations last year were similar to 2005 and 2006, and better than 2004.

In fact, pollutants were higher last year than in 2006.

Also, they were higher in 2006 than 2005.

While it is true that all these years had lower levels than 2004, this is only because 2004's levels were an all-time record.

The trend in air pollution is clear and non-debatable.

Air pollution in Hong Kong is getting worse. The department should admit this basic fact, and use it as the central basis for a commitment to clean up the air.

William Hayward, Wan Chai

Runner is out of step with genuine art

On the same page (On the block) as you pictured Monet's lovely lake scene, Les Bassin Aux Nympheas, it was reported that the Tate Britain gallery in London is now spending public money to pay people HK$153 an hour to run through its galleries, in the spurious name of art ('Creed shakes Tate Britain with sculpture that runs and runs', July 13).

Such stunts add nothing to the world's heritage of art, and are in fact dangerous.

Past generations of artists have bequeathed to the world a vast range of beautiful creations, to delight and enlighten us all.

How sad that making such a temporary 'statement' (if indeed running even achieves that much), is somehow mistaken for artistic expression. The same 'artist' [Martin Creed] previously arranged for the gallery lights to be switched continually on and off: that, too, was described as art.

Such activities are neither profound, nor beautiful. Future generations of art lovers will inherit nothing from them.

Paul Surtees, Mid-Levels

Ageism reigns

Civilised societies allow their senior citizens to work as long as they can, particularly if their financial survival depends on it.

For Cathay Pacific to relent after much pressure to raise stewardesses' retirement age from 45 to 55 is certainly not the magnanimous gesture folks may think it is ('Cathay increases retirement age of flight attendants to 55', July 6).

The resistance to this, of course, has been based on the fact that male passengers won't enjoy their flights as much if they have old flight attendants serving them.

I've heard of enough men complaining about the lack of youth and glamour in US and European airlines to know that ageism and sexism reign in this man's world, particularly in Asia.

Isabel Escoda, Lantau