Stop handouts to young mums

After hearing the States are going to provide free contraceptives, I would like to suggest that the States come back in a year's time and let us know if this scheme is working and if the birth rate among young girls who claim supplementary for their children has fallen.

I doubt it will, and I'll tell you why.

A lot of young girls (not all) wish to leave home and they know that if they get pregnant they will be found homes by the appropriate authorities and that is a fact.

Some of these girls are having more than one child and perhaps by different fathers, but, I'd like to ask, do these fathers contribute to the upkeep of these children or is it us, the taxpayers, who are paying for them? And before any of the relevant authorities, i.e. Housing and supplementary deny these facts, be assured the public know these facts are correct.

And before anyone calls me an uncaring person, don't, because I do care, but the States needs to get its priorities right. There are genuine people who need help and shouldn't have to beg. Some of these young girls are given absolutely everything, no questions asked. In my view, this is wrong, especially if they go on to have more than one child knowing there's no one but supplementary to support them – actually, I should state, the hard-working public.

So we will see if this scheme works. I won't hold my breath.

Oh, by the way, I was 18 when I got married and I was pregnant, but my husband worked hard to bring up our children and, nearly 50 years on, we're both still working.

WENDY DE BOURGONNIERE,

31, Mont Marche,

Forest.