I see that Conservatives running the county council are already complaining about district councils not collecting all the council tax due from residents, more than 80 per cent of which is sent straight to the county.

The average collection rate across Oxfordshire has fallen from 98 per cent in 2003/04 to 97.7 per cent in 2004/05, except in the Liberal Democrat-controlled Vale of White Horse, which collected 99.5 per cent in the last year.

The Vale is joint number one in the country for council tax collection, reducing everyone's bills by an average of £2 a year, and we have the 10th lowest district council tax in the country.

The obvious solution for county councillors is to recommend that Oxfordshire residents elect more Liberal Democrats so that the Vale's excellent record can be replicated across the county.

This would mean pressure could be maintained on the Government to do what everyone except the Tories want -- to abolish council tax altogether and replace it with a fairer local tax which does not penalise pensioners and the low paid. Roz Smith (Councillor), Vale of White Horse, District Council, Oxfordshire County Council