NEXT year City of York Council will receive £116.8 million from the Government in schools and general revenue grant. This is £8 million more than this year.

Next year our NHS primary care trust will receive £307.1 million - £51 million more than this year.

The council and the NHS will both get a real increase over and above inflation.

So, are there "cuts in support for both local authorities and NHS", as Liberal Councillor Martin Lancelott claims (Letters, January 24)? Emphatically no.

The Labour Government has increased its grant to city of York council each year by more than inflation. In fact, the Lib Dems have done better, receiving on average 3.1 per cent extra each year, more than the 2.1 per cent extra each year which Labour received when we controlled the council. Each year I argue for more money for York, and each year since we've had a Labour Government I have secured more money.

If the Lib Dems make cuts it will be because of bad management of the city's affairs, and not because of a lack of money.

Hugh Bayley,

MP for City of York,

Holgate Road,

York.

Updated: 10:30 Friday, January 27, 2006