In his letter last week (‘Tax’ is a slap in face) Coun Hubbard lambasted the council for introducing a charge for collecting garden waste. In doing so he both misrepresented the facts and failed to tell us how his party would have cut costs, something the council is having to do because of a reduction in central government support.

Whilst he points out that few people wanted to pay such a charge, he must recognise that consultation is just that, it is not a plebiscite. Cuts have to be made and our elected representatives have to decide what shape they take. If we don’t like it, we can throw them out through the ballot box.

He implies that the charge is, in effect, an increase in council tax. That is not true. I have no choice but to pay that. I have a very simple choice as to whether I continue to have my garden waste collected for a cost of 11p per day or not. Personally I am happy to pay this small sum if it saves cuts in the many important services the council provides.

My biggest disappointment, however, is the startling failure of the leader of the Lib Dems to understand the hard facts of life, that expenditure has to be reduced and that the choice is between minimising cuts to vital services and cutting back or charging for non- essential ones. Perhaps he would enlighten us by telling us what his party would have cut.

Tony Sedgwick, Newman Road, Devizes.