SIR – The West Yorkshire Police Authority has announced a budget increase of 3.2 per cent for 2010/11; a figure more than double our recent rate of inflation and 60 per cent higher than the Bank of England’s target.

The chairman of WYPA says that “the authority is extremely aware of the need to use public money wisely”, and also “the authority recognises the challenges of the current economic climate and has set a budget which keeps the cost of policing to a minimum”.

Last September, at its introduction, I questioned the justifiability of a quarterly police newsletter for distribution throughout the region on cost grounds.

In reply the chairman argued that my cost estimates were excessive, and also pointed out that the newsletter was introduced “to honour our promise to keep in touch with those who had asked for feedback from earlier events”.

Newsletters failed to materialise for both autumn and winter 2009 quarters; attempts are being made to produce one for spring 2010. The four staff members, recruited specifically to produce this quarterly newsletter, are still in post at a direct labour cost (including on-costs) of approximately £133,000pa. Doing what?

It seems that the WYPA is incapable of both keeping promises and spending money wisely.

D A Moncaster, Fyfe Grove, Baildon