WALT Meadows (Letters, June 5) asks what is the point of comparing Blackburn with Darwen Council tax with average bills and states that the tax should be likened to other unitary authorities' using Band D as the base for comparison.

The answer is easy: 88 per cent of households in Blackburn and Darwen fall into bands A, B or C, while the rest are in higher bands. Indeed, 61.2 per cent of households are in B and A so Band D equivalents are fairly meaningless in our area.

However, if Mr Meadows wishes to compare at Band D, he will find that the unitary authorities of Bristol, Hartlepool, North Lincs, Redcar and Cleveland and Rutland all have higher council taxes.

Closer to home, as well as five authorities in Lancashire, Manchester, Salford, Knowlesly, Liverpool, St Helens and Wirral all have higher Band D taxes.

Maybe Mr Meadows can inform readers how he could significantly reduce council tax without closing schools and leisure facilities, sacking teachers and other workers for cutting social services expenditure.

If he or any member of the public wishes to find out about councillors' allowances, all he has to do is ask the relevant department in the Town Hall -- all allowances are open to public scrutiny.

As for his comments about the decision-making within the Labour Party, he hasn't a clue -- he would have to join in the Party to find out and that's about as likely as him not writing to the Letters column again!

COUN DAVE SMITH (Sunnyhurst Ward), Avondale Road, Darwen.