I NOTE that local councillors travelled first class to London as a matter of "procedure," even though the council aims to make its staff pay greater personal contributions to their own costs.

As a hospital doctor I am also entitled to be reimbursed for first class travel costs to London. You might call it "procedure." Rather naively however I think that funds for health care should be directed towards patient care, rather than hiring a comfortable chair for me, so I always travel second class. Is it too much to expect councillors to have the same attitude or is the pursuit of narrow, self-interested standard council "procedure"?

Dr C. Granger,

Borrowdale Road,

Lancaster.

They obviously see no problem with this double standard. By the way the return fare was £181 and if it had been booked a week in advance the APEX fare was around £30 and all for a trip which by their own admission has little chance of success anyway - Ed.

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