NOW that a certain amount of normality has been restored to the supply of petrol, although many petrol stations in the Wycombe area are still not fully operational, it has ended the petrol queues and the panic buying and over-stocking of the basic necessities by some.

NOW that a certain amount of normality has been restored to the supply of petrol, although many petrol stations in the Wycombe area are still not fully operational, it has ended the petrol queues and the panic buying and over-stocking of the basic necessities by some.

The previous week was surreal in some ways as the roads were measurably less busy and even some supermarket shelves gave a good impression of those in the old Soviet Union.

The jury is still out as far as the merits of raising petrol prices for purely environmental reasons is concerned as, the recent increases have not reduced the level of demand for petrol, according to a spokesman for one of the multinational oil companies, which does fly in the face of the basic laws of economics.

Perhaps we have, as a society, become too dependent on the motor car and the obvious freedom it confers, that we (except of course for the protesters) are prepared to pay relatively higher prices for the petrol.

Nevertheless, it should have brought home to us all the need to treat petrol as a scarce resource, which needs to be conserved and used with thought.

The petrol shortages, in my observation, brought people together as they were being pragmatic and sharing cars where possible. This was more pronounced among the Asian community as they still have a sense of community and stay in contact with friends, neighbours and relatives.

The duty on petrol and cigarettes has been seen by almost all chancellors in recent times as an easy way of raising revenue, which is needed to run the health service, schools and other essential services. Unfortunately, taxation by stealth, through indirect taxation, hurts everybody.

The burden of taxation, I suspect, still hovers between 36 per cent and 37 per cent, despite the cuts in the basic rate of tax and the introduction of the lower rate.

We have to face the fact that, as a society, we have to collectively fund the services, which we need and depend on and confer a higher standard of living than most of the rest the world. Progressive taxation, where those who earn more pay more in taxation, is a relatively better system than indirect taxation on basic necessities of life; and petrol has now become a necessity for us.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Chilterns University College is hosting a lecture on Islamic doctrine and the philosophy of science by Dr Martyn Hudson, a lecturer in philosophy and sociology at Kingston University.

Despite the obvious literary, philosophical and theological integrity of the Islamic legacy, Islam has often been seen as particularly hostile to science as a way of understanding the world. Dr Hudson will re-examine the nature of the relationship between Islam and science.

call the college marketing department on (01494) 603015