SIR - Mike Foster appears to believe that he has suddenly discovered new complexities in the debate about the fairness of funding for local schools that none of us had ever thought of before.

In fact, they're not new at all - and trying to shift the debate from poor funding for Worcestershire to distribution within Worcestershire is both misleading and against the interests of our county.

He is now saying that the increased funding gap between us and Birmingham is perfectly reasonable because the children in schools there live in greater deprivation and have greater need than children in Worcestershire.

Before 1997, local Labour politicians told me the funding gap was unfair - and I agreed with them.

Since then the gap has got significantly bigger.

There are only two explanations. Either the injustice against our county has increased, or deprivation in Birmingham has grown over 10 years of a Labour government. Come on Mike, take your pick.

PETER LUFF MP.