FURTHER to your article on the recommendations of the Independent Pay Review Panel for councillor allowances (October 30), I note with interest that both local and national government have set precedents in honouring in full pay review body findings.

As someone who earned their living working with pay review bodies, I welcome the return of this fair and impartial process which, if correctly operated, provides a good working environment with contented and career-conscious staff.

Can we assume that this facility will now be passed on to local and national government staff, so that when their representatives set up their pay-review bodies, their findings will also be fully honoured?

There is a slight danger that one or two people might lose out, through previous over-calculations.

However I don't think there are many employees of City of York council who earn between £16,000 and £29,000 for a 50 per cent, or less, position, which requires no formal qualifications (see last review-board report).

So this should not be an insurmountable problem.

Liz Edge,

Parkside Close, York.

Updated: 11:41 Tuesday, November 09, 2004