R E P L Y T O L E T T E R

Steven Rose Chief Executive, Choice Support, Head Office, Ground Floor, 100 Westminster Bridge

Road, London SE1 7XA, UK

Dear Steven,

I write in response to your letter dated 27th February 2006

in which you draw my attention to the back cover

advertisement on the Volume 34 Number 1 March 2006

edition of the British Journal of Learning Disabilities.

The advert is for independent hospital provision for

people with learning disabilities and you suggest that it is at

variance with BILD’s value base as reflected throughout the

journal.

Your letter has prompted a lively discussion within BILD

and with our editors and publishers. Ordinarily, BILD

adopts a neutral stance in relation to the adverts in our

journals but in this instance we share your concern about

the proliferation of independent sector hospitals in this

field.

BILD has contributed positively to the policy decisions

and good practice that has resulted in the closure of the

long-stay hospitals and the development of support services

in local communities that are person centred. It is clear to

me that BILD’s well established value base is in conflict with

this particular advertisement.

I thank you for drawing this to my attention and I can

confirm that newly agreed arrangements between the

publishers, editors and BILD in relation to future adverts

will ensure that this will not reoccur.

I will be asking the Editors of BJLD to publish my

response to your letter and I anticipate further debate on

this subject in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Keith Smith,

Chief Executive

ª 2006 The Author Journal compilation ª 2006 BILD Publications, British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 34, 123 doi:10.1111/j.1468-3156.2006.00397.x