I MUST take issue with your correspondent David Hargreaves when he accuses Bury Council of a "shoddy approach towards its fiscal responsibility". Furthermore, he makes it obvious that he does not believe that councillors and officers are prepared to help.

With regard to his second point, I can assure him that if he contacts me or the chief financial services officer he will receive every help with regard to the council's financial affairs. He can also take advantage of our open policy to public questions at committee and council meetings.

With his allegation of an irresponsible attitude to our finances, I must refute this in the strongest terms. How would he explain the fact that despite inheriting a near bankrupt system in 1986 and despite the ravages and malevolence of unbridled Thatcherism during most of the 1990s which resulted in huge cuts in service, we now have a very stable budget?

This year our reserve fund stands at £2.3 million after inheriting a mere £400,000 from the Conservatives in 1986. We have at the same time started to improve services, albeit slowly and prudently. We can see the effects of more street cleansing and better grounds maintenance. And the schools and social services budgets have received a real boost.

There are those who said we should have spent more this year and run down our balances. Now that would have been irresponsible and a "shoddy approach towards our fiscal responsibility". But like the Labour Government, your Labour council has adopted a longer term strategy. Indeed, this year for the first time we set a budget which looked at not just the current year but also the next two years.

Finally, yet again we have received approval and praise from the district auditor, who is appointed by the Government, not the council!

JOHN BYRNE,

Deputy leader of the council.

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