DAVE Merrett, the Labour Party leader on City of York Council (Home Help, The Press, April 3 ) does not mention the most obvious and most effective way to help to solve the shortage of affordable homes: build more council houses.

Did he not mention it because it is the borrowing policy of this Labour Government which not only makes it almost impossible for councils to build homes, but actively encourages them to sell them off to housing associations at knockdown prices?

Selby District Council spent many thousands of pounds trying to persuade its tenants to vote to sell.

They voted against. If they had voted in favour, the council could have claimed that money back from the Government. Now we, the council taxpayers, have to foot the bill.

B Emmerson, Charles Street, Selby.