Every resident of York rightly expects the city council to spend public money responsibly. They do not expect us to pay tuppence for a penny bun, Mr Maitland (Letters May 28).

Although the Royal Ascot Special Edition of Your City was indeed printed in Elland, West Yorkshire, all the quarterly two colour editions of Your Ward and Your City are printed here in York.

Full colour was chosen for the Ascot Special so the maps would be clear and to make this edition stand out as something special. The council's normal procurement rules, which oblige us to accept the lowest compliant quote, were followed for this one-off contract.

The council did obtain quotes from York printers but it would have cost 46 per cent more to have chosen the cheapest of them.

The Special Edition was fully paid for out of the Yorkshire Forward Ascot grant and from council tax.

Quentin Macdonald,

executive member for resources, City of York Council, Manor Farm, Church Lane, Nether Poppleton, York.

Updated: 09:49 Saturday, June 04, 2005