R. D. CALROW writes (Your Letters, February 28) that the rise in allowances for councillors is obscene and should be scrapped.

Does he/she know what a councillor is expected to do? Probably not. Like many people who criticise councillors, they are not at the front of the queue wanting to be councillors at election time.

I would say, without hesitation, that none of the 48 councillors in Bury do it for the money. They do it for their desire to help people, and to make a difference for the community in which they live. So what does a back-bench or opposition councillor get paid?

The current basic allowance is £4,359 per annum. Take away 25 per cent income tax (£1,089.75) and 10.58 per cent National Insurance (£461.18) and you are left with £2,808.07 per annum, the weekly equivalent of £54.

The new allowance will be £6,630 per annum. Again, take off income tax (£1,657.50) and National Insurance (£701.45) and you are left with £4,271.05, the weekly equivalent of £82.13.

You do not get personal tax allowances if you are in full-time employment, as many councillors are. In many cases, the council allowance received moves a councillor into the 40 per cent higher tax bracket.

What does a councillor do for this allowance? They are expected to be on call 24-hours, seven days a week and when a call comes in, the caller wants their problem sorting out straight away. Over the last few months I have visited 53 constituents, not all with problems connected to the council.

Councillors sit on two governing bodies of local schools, one primary and one high school, not only attending main governing body meetings but also many sub-committees and school events. All councillors sit on their local area board, which also have sub-committees, which deal with planning and re-development issues.

The vast majority of councillors work with many voluntary groups. For example, I am president of Prestwich Carnival Committee and help to organise this annual event, help the local Lions Club, Prestwich & Whitefield Rotary Club, and Bury Hospice, to name but a few.

Centrally, all councillors sit on a scrutiny panel which examines the work of executive members and officers, as well as sitting on many outside bodies. I am chairman of Bury Music Service Advisory Board, ensuring the music service spends council money in a wise and efficient manner. I am also the council's spokesman for sport and recreation, dealing with many voluntary groups needing help and assistance. This year I am honoured to be the Deputy Mayor.

Having described a little of what I do as a local councillor for the allowance I get, let me assure everyone that I am no different to my 47 colleagues. They may do different things but be assured that they all work tirelessly in the same vein for the same money, £54 per week, soon to be £82 per week.

In conclusion, I would suggest that if R. D. Calrow doesn't believe what we do, he/she is welcome to spend a week with me and see at first hand. Better still, he/she could put themselves forward to become a councillor.

PAUL J. NESBIT,

Sedgley Ward councillor.