IN response to Mr Tilstone's letter about class sizes (April 19), he is right when he says Liberal Democrats are committed to cutting class sizes and reducing infant classes still further to 20.

We understand very well the significance of this to children and their teachers.

However, it is important that parents and readers know that budgets are delegated to schools and all decisions about staffing are made by the governing body - not the local authority.

In York we fund well above the amount of money given to us by the Government - in other words, the council tops up the funding and then schools take the decisions.

Funding is delegated according to a formula, agreed by the schools, which provides a fair system for distributing the money available and treats all schools equally. However, the funding we receive from the Government is very low, one of the lowest in the country, and we have been fighting for some time to have a fair deal for York - that is the challenge to Hugh Bayley.

I can't guarantee extra funding will be made available for education by the next government - whoever they may be - but I can assure readers the Liberal Democrat commitment to education in York will remain as strong as it is now and funding from us will demonstrate that.

Coun Carol Runciman,

Executive member for

education, City of York Council,

Plainville Lane,

Wigginton, York.

Updated: 09:26 Friday, April 22, 2005