WITHOUT wishing to get into a tit-for-tat, I suggest that rather than reading finance papers from 2009, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing reads her own letter (Thursday, April 3).
If so, she will see that the last Lib Dem administration did not operate a secret “Venture Fund”. As she points out, the papers were publicly reported to me as an executive member, between 2009-2011.
Unfortunately, this regular reporting ceased after Labour took power in 2011 and it became another ‘secret’ fund. What is perhaps most telling is that five weeks after the budget meeting, Coun Simpson-Laing is only just getting to grips with the details of the Lib Dem alternative budget.
Her portfolio seems to be in disarray. As a Cabinet Member she is responsible for a botched elderly people’s homes modernisation programme that will be late, over-budget and will fail to provide the beds promised.
She is also overseeing one of the worst national performances in so called bed-blocking and a £1.5m budget overspend. Perhaps she should be spending her time focusing on these issues.
Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for finance, Galtres Road, York.
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