YOUR correspondent, M C Randall, expressed his displeasure at the increase in the county council's share of the council tax to pay for what he deemed were deteriorating services.

I'd like to point out to M C Randall that county councillors do not feel the increase for bills is totally acceptable and that taxpayers can afford whatever rise we see fit to levy.

There is a very rigid process for setting council tax bills. We are required by law to provide specific services and the cost of providing these services rises at rates beyond our control.

We are also required to share our part of the bill for providing these services among our residents, so when the help we get from Government for providing these services goes down - and this year it was especially disappointing - the cost to the council taxpayer goes up. There's nothing the county council can do about it.

We are as angry about this as M C Randall and are lobbying the Government for a fairer slice of the cash.

If successful, we can hopefully ease the financial burden on our residents.

However, M C Randall is totally wrong when he claims the standard of service is going downhill. All councils providing similar services to Worcestershire were recently graded by the Government's watchdog, the Audit Commission.

The county council was categorised as "good", the second best rating available and one that was not bettered in the Midlands. It was because councillors do not want this quality of service to deteriorate that bills have risen by the national average, and not half that amount as had been planned.

The ethics of local taxation is a debate that will rage for some time, but there is no argument on the standard of service provided by Worcestershire County Council. We're good, and that's official.

ADRIAN HARDMAN,

Cabinet member,

Worcestershire County Council.