NEWS reaches us of a radical innovation in the heady world of local politics.

They are going to try thinking.

If you are not used to it, thinking isn't easy, mind.

Presumably that is why "scrutiny members" on City of York Council can attend workshops on exercising the little grey cells this June.

All sorts of councillors are charged with scrutinising every aspect of public services these days.

But it takes a fair dollop of brainpower to be a scrutineer. So City of York Council's "scrutiny team" has set up the courses. The main one boasts the impressive title, "Questioning And Thinking Skills For Scrutiny Members".

No fewer than three sessions have been set up to give lots of councillors a chance to take part. And to help them concentrate, food and refreshments will be available before each session "with perhaps a glass of wine for the evening" as an added incentive.

We are thrilled that the rise in council tax is being put to such productive use.

TALKING of which, the man in charge of council finances is in touch to thoroughly rebuff our Gillygate mathematician in the Diary on Tuesday.

He had worked out that the "Value For Money" brochure cost 23 per cent more.

Not so, says Simon Wiles, director of resources at City of York Council.

Simon says the Government used to demand councils produce a council tax information booklet and a Best Value Performance Plan Summary (and they say New Labour are control freaks).

Last year the council produced the two booklets at the same time, saving £8,000 on postage and packaging.

This year they combined both booklets into one, resulting in 12 fewer pages and making a "massive cost reduction of 56 per cent".

In other words, we were way off. Sorry.

"There are staff working for the council who try their hardest to find the

cheapest and best way to provide information to York's citizens about how

their £55 million of council tax, and the overall council budget of over £300 million, are spent," said Simon.

"I feel they are to be congratulated for what they have achieved this year - a high quality, easy to understand document at a significantly lower cost."

"EVER wondered how police specialists investigate a murder scene or archaeologists find out about ancient skeletons?" starts a press release from the York Archaeological Trust.

Well now you can find out. This weekend, the Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC) in St Saviourgate, will be bringing together experts on human remains, ancient and modern, to give visitors an insight into how vital clues can reveal more about the dead and even solve a murder.

What worried the Diary, though, was this line: "A police scenes of crime officer will be setting up a murder scene as authentically as possible."

How authentic is authentic? Perhaps we'll wait a few minutes after the 10am start time before going along, just to be on the safe side...

THE Lawn Tennis Association is running a scheme to allow budding Andres and Martinas to try the game for free.

According to the press release, this valuable work has the support of "Time Henman".

Updated: 11:15 Friday, April 16, 2004