Dear Peter.......

To Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Wales

Mr Hain, whilst watching BBC's Questiontime on 14th January, I noticed that in reply to a question from the audience (34 minutes in), about David Miliband and his loyalty message, you said, (and I quote directly from BBC iPlayer), "And actually, when it comes down to it, my constituents say to me... They're not interested in all this nonsense and all this media Westminster bubble stuff,what they're interested in is who's going to take this country forward so that jobs are protected, so that schools are protected, so that the health service continues to be invested in and continues to perform....."

Well, that surprises me somewhat. I mean, seeing that Health and Education are now devolved issues, are the good people of Neath in Wales really that bothered about the English education system and the English health service? Surely, they will be thinking of their own health and education issues when they can actually vote for them - in the elections to the Welsh Assembly?

But maybe they are confused? If they are indeed raising such subjects to you, maybe you should be correcting them - and telling them that Welsh health and education has nothing to do with you. But as Secretary of State for Wales, you can vote on English Health and Education issues but not Welsh ones - and that all enquiries should be addressed to the Welsh AM for Neath?

As you are the Secretary of Wales - and so are presumably defacto aware of the devolution settlement, I am somewhat surprised that you should have made such an elementary error. I would be grateful if you could reply to this and let me know if what you said was, indeed a slip of the tongue - or an attempt to continue to confuse the people of England as to who is responsible for what..