Letter: Crowded world

Sir: Too often, when the state enters the bedroom, chaos results. This is clearly evident in western Europe, where state-funded abortion and contraception have reduced fertility rates to below replacement rate. This is the direct cause of the age imbalance which means that, for thirtysomethings like myself, there will be little if any state pension - because there will be fewer workers to pay for it.

China is not an overpopulated country - it simply suffers the legacy of a disastrous political experiment which leaves the state unable to provide the same healthcare and resources available to those in liberal capitalist economies. The Chinese solution is a programme of virtual infanticide and the fact that it is little commented on in the West should be a source of shame.

The right to found a family is a human right which belongs to parents, not governments.

PAUL ATKIN

Edinburgh