When local taxes are right and proper

I've always been keen that governments and electors at every level should balance the rights we enjoy with the duties that we owe.

I'm so keen on that approach, that a fortnight ago, I declared that I'm prepared to risk £7.50 a year alongside others, to pay for any parish council that's willing to be responsible. And I am prepared to pay that even though I recognise the perpetual Conservative majority in this small town.

However Heathcliffe and Michael could interpret that personal support as my being opposed to Ilkley Parish Council is very odd. What I seek, is a parish that funds itself and is not dependent on handouts from anyone else.

Others may prefer to have no parish than to pay for one: we should all make our own choices, and my preference is clear. I am not in favour of a free ride for parishes.

For some reason, Barbara Cousins tries to construct an argument that because many people in Ilkley have chosen to live in more expensive homes, that they are thereby entitled to more votes and political power than other electors. I'm sure that Barbara doesn't really mean that. Otherwise we'd have to give heavy smokers and drinkers extra votes too!

Across our whole district, last year's Council Tax raised only ten per cent of the cash expenditures. The way local taxes work is that the greater the potential Council Tax revenue, the lower is the grant income from central government.

So Ilkley's higher than average tax yield makes for no extra revenues for the district council.

It is a fact that a parish council run like ours is a large expense (I stick to my estimate of £50,000 a year, as the true cost of Ilkley's privileged position). That's what would make a 'responsible' parish so desirable: we would spend only what we paid for ourselves, instead of relying, in effect, upon national taxpayers.

Alas, these three Conservative councillors don't like the idea of balancing parish rights with a responsibility for raising their funds locally. Maybe that's because they would have to account for the value that they provide, for the first time in 28 years?

That level of personal responsibility is what we expect of national government, too, where we all have to pay collectively for the services we demand. The bad old days of the John Major Government that lived on borrowed money and rapidly growing debts are over.

Most people agree with that new approach, whoever they end up voting for. Reflecting local expenditures with appropriate local taxes is part of our democratic responsibilities. That is surely the way ahead for Ilkley, just as it should be at a national level, too.

Andrew Dundas

2 Pines Cottages,

Parish Ghyll Drive,

Ilkley.

RSPCA's role

SIR, - Since there appears to be a great deal of interest in the RSPCA's involvement with the foot and mouth crisis, I thought it would be useful to outline some of the main hands-on work our inspectors have been doing around the country.

The RSPCA was the first agency to begin making a real difference to animal welfare problems when it became clear that thousands of ewes were lambing in appalling conditions, due to movement restrictions, in the eastern counties of England. On March 2 the area's inspectorate was taken off non-urgent services and given refresher training in lambing and sheep management. To date, these RSPCA staff - and many drafted in to help - have lambed 3,000 ewes and helped bring more than 5,000 lambs into the world. We have helped organise and provide lambing marquees, feed, shelter and manpower to farmers in crisis.

One of the most depressing tasks our staff has had to perform was assisting with the euthanasia of about 1,300 ewes to prevent further suffering. Many of these animals hadn't even the most basic level of care available to them.

The RSPCA could see no means of improving their welfare on site and the sheep were not fit to be transported for slaughter. It was a task no-one relished but, as ever, the RSPCA does not shy away from difficult animal welfare decisions.

Last week 80 RSPCA inspectors from across the country were taken off normal duties to concentrate on visiting farms to help farmers and to prioritise the most desperate animal welfare cases. The charity is also running a brokerage system, where people with excess supplies of hay, straw, feed and other supplies can offer them to us, via the RSPCA's national helpline on 08705 555999, for matching with the animals that need them most.

Alongside this hands-on help, we have raised our concerns to the Government about some of the slaughter methods employed and have sent inspectors to monitor the slaughter of sheep at the mass site in Cumbria. We have also investigated many incidents of alleged inhumane slaughter and have continued to protest to Government about the slaughter of healthy animals with no proven link to the disease.

I would ask the public to be reassured that the RSPCA is doing everything it possibly can to help these stricken animals. Our staff have worked some incredibly long hours in appalling conditions dealing with heartbreaking situations.

We would like to offer our thanks to everyone who has supported us and continues to do so.

Alan Wolinski

RSPCA Regional Manager.

Panel was fair

SIR, - We the undersigned attended the meeting of the Area Planning Panel at Shipley Town Hall on April 5.

Our particular interest was the application for 17 Park Road, Menston. The application was dealt with in a very fair and very proficient manner by all concerned.

We would like to express our thanks to the panel and for the excellent way in which the case put forward by Mr Foster and councillors Chris Greaves and Audrey Brand.

Also for Councillor Dale Smith's request for a site meeting and the display of unity from all councillors and others concerned. The application was refused.

R A Armstrong

H M V Rainforth.

Menston.

Eggs thanks 1 ...

SIR, - Just a note to thank you most sincerely for the two boxes of Easter eggs you have so kindly sent to the Children's Unit at Airedale General Hospital.

These are most appreciated and a real treat for the children on the ward.

Wishing all at the Wharfedale Observer a very Happy Easter.

Helen Knapman

Children's Services Manager,

Women and Children's

Health Services,

Airedale NHS Trust,

Skipton Road,

Steeton.

... Eggs thanks 2

SIR, - On behalf of the staff and children of all the Paediatric Wards here at Bradford Royal Infirmary, I would like to thank your newspaper for its very kind donation of Easter eggs. It goes without saying that Easter Sunday was all the more enjoyable and the children (and staff) really enjoyed the treat. Once again, thanks for your generosity and support.

Jym Bates

Service Nurse Manager,

Children and Neonatal Services,

Bradford Royal Infirmary,

Duckworth Lane,

Bradford.

Editor's note: Wharfedale Newspapers would like to thank the Tesco supermarket in Ilkley for supplying the Easter Eggs, and all the local businesses who sponsored them, for their generosity.

Time to go veggie

SIR, - As the Government wobbles yet again on the question of vaccination against foot and mouth disease, many consumers are expressing concerns about possible human health risks from eating vaccinated animals.

Most people are not aware that virtually all farmed animals in the UK are already subjected to a vast array of powerful pharmaceutical products. As well as vaccines, they include anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, reproductive hormones, wormers, insecticides and growth promoters.

The purpose of these drug products? To increase animal productivity and suppress symptoms of diseases that are a natural consequence of the oppressive systems in which farmed animals are bred, fattened, transported and slaughtered.

The public is being asked to take on trust assurances from farming industry scientists that the high volume use of such potentially toxic substances presents no risk to the health of consumers.

Given the assurances offered over the safety of beef, the public are quite rightly sceptical. Foot and mouth is one more catastrophe coming in the wake of bovine TB, E coli, Campylobacter, salmonella, BSE and swine fever.

Animal Aid's message to the public over foot and mouth is: Don't be part of the problem, go veggie! Contact our office, or see our website (www.animalaid.org.uk) for recipes, background or guidance.

ANDREW TYLER

Director,

Animal Aid,

The Old Chapel,

Bradford Street,

Tonbridge,

Kent TN9 1AW.

Tourism thanks

SIR, - I'm writing to the Gazette as I would like to say a public 'thank you' to the staff at the Ilkley Tourist Information Centre and the Manor House for the activities they organised an Easter Bank Holiday Monday.

Dozens of children and their parents enjoyed naming the hen, pinning the tail on the Easter bunny, egg and spoon races, egg rolling and finally egg painting and decorating at the Manor House.

People sometimes complain readily about aspects of life in Ilkley. But compared with most towns in the UK, we enjoy a wonderful environment and a very wide range of activities to suit all tastes and ages - especially for a town this size.

Not only did we enjoy the Easter weekend activities in Ilkley, we also enjoyed the music, tea and cakes, egg rolling and children's treasure hunt at St Peter's in Addingham, which you reported on your front page last week.

Again, a lot of people must have worked hard to make it all happen.

So, thanks to you all - and remember that (contrary to the impression which the letters page sometimes gives) life in Ilkley is not all dog poo, vandalism and bad news!

Kate Ling

33 Wheatley Lane,

Ilkley.