No pipe dream

The answer to water shortages is obvious: pipe it from Scotland and Wales. These areas have many times the amount of annual rainfall than the South-east.

If we can pipe gas and oil across the country, surely it is within our grasp to transport water 500 miles south to potential drought areas so as to spread national distribution equally.

It is baffling that we are spending

billions on the minimal advantages of HS2 and another £500 million on researching complicated water retaining and distribution resolutions when there is a common-sense answer.

Dr RICHARD GANT, Holywell, Flintshire.