SIR – Further to Councillor Val Slater, the Council’s executive member for housing’s remarks (T&A, November 29), I feel the need to highlight a gross inaccuracy in her comments.

Councillor Slater claims that the removal of the subsidy is “hitting people like grandparents who wanted to have spare bedrooms for grandchildren to visit” and that there are “a lot of personal stories behind this”.

As pensioners are exempt from the reduction, I can assure the executive member for housing that there is not one personal story behind this and that as the councillor responsible for housing matters, she may well or at least should be well aware of this.

I will leave to conclude for themselves whether the comments resulted from incompetence or were deliberately disingenuous.

Councillor Simon Cooke, deputy leader of the Conservative group, shadow spokesman for housing, planning and transport, C/O City Hall, Bradford