IN REFERENCE to your leading article on the council’s £211k bill for consultants (The Press, September 15), it is a shame the Liberal Democrats weren’t given the opportunity to defend this spend.

The work of consultant Northgate Kendric Ash occurred between September and December 2009 under the previous Liberal Democrat executive.

The bill was paid in March 2011, under the same executive.

Really it should have been for the party in power to defend how they allocated resources during their time in office.

I also wish to clarify that Northgate provides IT systems to the council now, but is not contracted to undertake any efficiency work, as it did previously.

Consultants do have a role to play when a significant piece of work is required over a limited period, but the Labour administration is rebalancing the use of consultants where it is possible to complete such work in-house.

Coun Julie Gunnell, Labour cabinet member for corporate services.