At last a major national report has recognised something that Bradford people have known for a long time - that large parts of this district are among the worst deprived in Britain.

The Government survey, the Index of Deprivation, reveals the Bradford Metropolitan District to be a place of great contrasts. About a sixth of the district is rich enough to be included among the nation's wealthiest. But only a few miles away from these pockets of affluence are some of the poorest wards in the country.

Bradford's sorry position as sixth worst in England for unemployment and fifth worst for low incomes in this national table confirms the gloomy picture contained in a Bradford Council report from the mid-1990s - A Fair Deal for Bradford: Our Case for Investment.

Things do not appear to have got any better since then. There is still a pressing need for a great deal more resources to be poured into the district to help to overcome its problems.

But along with these additional resources needs to be better management of them. The chances of persuading the Government to put more money Bradford's way will be greatly improved if it can be convinced that every penny of it will be well used.

We need more imaginative, better-thought-out schemes which are more effectively monitored and measured to make sure that the money goes where it is most needed: to relieve poverty, to improve the environment, but most of all to reduce the high level of unemployment to enable the people of Bradford to better fend for themselves.