I WOULD like to reply to Peter Thompson, chairman of Durham Police Authority, about allowances (HAS, Dec 20).
He said after taking independent advice, the authority adopted a basic allowance at the minimum range which from December 2009 was £8,623, and not the £11,784 that I quoted (HAS, Dec 6).
If that is the case I find it difficult to understand why in the members allowance scheme ending March 31, 2010, nine of the 17 members claimed £11,784 and one claimed £11,962.
That’s £3,000 more than Mr Thomson claims is the basic allowance.
My original letter was in response to Rob Merrick’s article about the idea of an elected Police Commissioner. Working with Rob’s figures, I concluded it would cost £125,000 a year.
Under the current members allowance scheme the cost increased from £140,000 in the year ending March 31, 2009, to £257,000 a year later.
That’s an increase of a £117,000, or 83 per cent, which the taxpayer has to fund.
Sadly, this is something that’s happening throughout the public sector and is not confined to the Police Authority.
It will be interesting in the coming months, when cuts have to be made, to see who will pay the price?
Alan Hodgson, West Cornforth
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