I WAS heartened to read E F Showell's letter concerning a meeting of the West Midlands Regional Assembly at University College Worcester.

It's good to see residents taking a keen interest in local governance, and I'm grateful E F Showell brought it to the attention of others.

However, there was an assertion in the letter that I chaired the meeting. I'm not the chairman of the regional assembly. I do act as the secretary, though, having been asked to do so by my fellow chief executives around the West Midlands.

The assembly's made up of councillors and representatives of business, the voluntary sector and so on and has the responsibility for regional spatial planning and scrutinising the regional development agency. I hope this clears up any confusion.

ROB SYKES,

Chief Executive,

Worcestershire County Council.