I regret that I cannot agree with your leader (December 4) that the demise of the Communications Data Bill is to be welcomed. If the bill were put before Parliament, we would have some idea of precisely what the Home Office is planning. More importantly, there would be the possibility of parliament placing limits on the government's powers, in the Lords at least, if not in the rubber-stamp Commons.

But while the draft bill remains unpublished, it has been reported that £1bn has been provided to GCHQ to build a pilot database to record details of all our electronic communications - phone calls, e-mails and web surfing. Home Office ministers and officials refuse to confirm or deny these reports. Nor will they answer Freedom of Information requests on this matter, citing national security concerns. It would be better if details of this gross intrusion into our lives were open to public scrutiny.

There were other disappointments in the Queen's speech. The Coroners and Justice Bill will set aside the Data Protection Act, Articles 6 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, common-law confidentiality and the principle of ultra vires, to allow the government to share personal data as it sees fit. If implemented, this bill will epitomise the supremacy of the database state over individuals' right to privacy.

The Immigration and Citizenship Bill also contains extraordinary measures.

If implemented, it will permit authorities, including the police, to demand identity papers from anyone who has ever crossed British borders.

During the past few years, Home Office ministers have taken every opportunity to explain that Britons will not be required to carry ID cards, even if registration on the database is compulsory (NO2ID has never claimed otherwise). The rationale has been that the Home Office does not wish to allow the creation of ID martyrs. Yet its new bill will achieve just that. Either this is a sign of increasing desperation from a government that is starting to realise just how unpopular its ID scheme is, or else it is a further example of incompetent drafting from a department that remains not fit for purpose.

Dr Geraint Bevan, NO2ID Scotland, 3e Grovepark Gardens, Glasgow.

It was clear to all that Mr Speaker's statement in Parliament on December 3 had been meticulously prepared. It was a pity that his presentation was less well-prepared.

My six-year-old grand-daughter could have read the statement more clearly. Perhaps the author of the statement should have added pictures as an aide-memoire.

I am amazed that a man holding such a powerful position in Parliament was unable to make his statement without notes as he was really only saying "it wisnae me".

John M Wilson, Police House, Main Street, Houston.