I am sorry the town council has been offended by the withdrawal of two free car parking passes, which have been issued to two of its white-collar employees for use in Kerrier district council's car parks in Redruth. Perhaps, as the portfolio holder involved, I could explain why these privileges have now been withdrawn.

As readers will know, those councils, which do have a responsibility for the delivery of significant services, have come under increasing pressure from Westminster to deliver those services with greater efficiency and to reduce council tax increases accordingly. Among the matters within my portfolio, which personally I have scrutinised with some care, is its asset-derived revenue. Particular attention has focused on public toilets and car parks where decisions have had to be taken which, like those relating to the much greater robustness in planning enforcement, have not always escaped public criticism.

During my investigations, quite extraordinary anomalies, which have resulted from ad hoc decision-making in the past, have come to light. The issue of complimentary parking passes for these two officials are but the first of many, which I intend to publicise. These cases reflect the existence of a dependency culture, in which the taxpayer is seen as a milch cow to be exploited at will. This has had to be vigorously resisted and a more self-reliant and responsible attitude by individuals and organisations, encouraged.

At a time of financial stringency, there are people in our community who are experiencing hardship and whose needs rate rather more highly than those of the two well rewarded town council officials. It is on public record that the salaries of the town clerk and his secretary, who respectively work in a full-time and a part-time capacity, are of the order of £32,000 and £10,000 a year. At least one of these officials' benefits additionally from superannuated pension contributions, funded in part by the council taxpayer. In the circumstances, where many working people in Kerrier struggle on low incomes and themselves are not in possession of comparable free car parking privileges, I have found it impossible to allow such preferential treatment to continue.

The amount of money involved may be very small but, nonetheless, my own fastidious approach to the expenditure of taxpayers' money is that, if the pennies are looked after, the pounds will look after themselves.

Furthermore, it is the principle itself which should concern us all. Surely, it cannot be right that council taxpayers throughout Kerrier, should be called upon to subsidise these relatively highly paid Redruth officials. Just as questionable would it be, were the residents of this town now to be asked to bear this imposition and even more so if, heaven forbid, it were introduced stealthily, without their knowledge!

Perhaps, the mayor will reassure the residents of this town that this has not been, and will not be, the case.

Coun Graeme Hicks, Redruth South