SOME important questions need to be asked regarding the interim director of city and environment services costing us £3,000 a week.

First, where did Kersten England come up with this figure?

Are we being told that this is the going rate in the private sector? The fact is there are no comparably paid jobs in the private sector.

If there was such a job in the private sector, then the person doing that job would have to buy or rent an office building, would have to pay the utilities, electricity, gas, water, sewage, rates, etc, that person would have to buy office equipment, and hire a secretary and rent a car park.

These expenses would take away about 50 per cent of that person’s income. The interim director will be getting all those things; the difference is that rate-payers will be paying for them.

When will these people on the council start living in the real world?

Derek Martin, Fulford Road, York.