From Major Freddy Crabbe (Rtd)

Sir, — Dr Williams warned against cuts to rural mental-health services (News, 12 November). May I ask Dr Williams if the Church of England, has really thought through “what the implication might be for the rural setting” of the policy of removing stipendiary ministers from rural parishes, merging these parishes with bigger, quite disparate, semi-rural parishes into ever-larger benefices, and imposing long gaps in the replacement, if at all, of incumbents who retire early, presumably because of overwork?

Has he considered the effects that that could have or may already have had on rural mental health?

FREDDY CRABBE
Little Lodge, Hensting Lane
Owslebury
Winchester SO21 1LE