COUN CHRIS STEWARD (Letters, February 13) informs us we would be better of if we froze council tax but he does not tell us why.

Terry Smith informs (Letters, February 11) that £1.8 million is on offer by Local Secretary Eric Pickles to freeze this year’s council tax; is this just for York?

On the face of it a good idea, but for those of us who are not well informed about local tax, except as payers of it, can the council give us the answers we need to understand – no waffle or statistics – just the simple amounts involved and why one is the better or necessary choice?

Dennis Barton, Woodthorpe, York.