I VERY much welcome Nick Clegg’s pledge to give local authorities the power to keep the business rates they collect.

York’s economy is largely based around the four million visitors it receives every year, and yet none of these visitors contribute towards cleaning the streets of their litter, repairing roads and footpaths, etc, except through parking charges.

Those businesses in the city who do well out of tourism do not contribute taxes to the local authority, as their business rates are collected by the council but trousered by national government.

In Sweden, most business rates go straight to the local authority. As a result businesses and local government work together more closely.

That is one of the reasons why they find it easier to ensure they have vibrant and thriving city centres. It also plays a huge part in delivering energy efficiency and reductions in carbon emissions.

Where we talk for years about persuading shops to keep their doors closed in winter, to reduce heat waste, or talk about a citywide freight distribution network to cut down on city centre pollution, Swedish local authorities can deliver such projects because residents, businesses and municipality all have a vested interest in working together.

Christian Vassie, Blake Court, Wheldrake, York.