Last year the Bulletin (June 1984, 8, 112-114) pub lished a statement on hospital closures and community care from the National Schizophrenia Fellowship which was widely circulated to influential bodies. This statement was sent to the Minister for Health, Mr Kenneth Clarke, and on 29 May 1984, he replied to the NSF. The NSF wrote back to Mr Clarke on 2 July, to which he again responded in a letter of 2 October. These three letters are published below and it is hoped that they will be of interest to our readership.