SIR - I always enjoy good comic fiction when I read it. This is probably why I nearly chuckled at county councillor John Power's letter, Wasteful council (Oxford Mail, April 23).
However, before I could enjoy my brief chuckle, it dawned on me that some people might be taken in by the breadth of the untruths in his letter.
The reality is that social work staff, under considerable pressure from growing demands, took a view that it was more important to assess people needing care and to organise the care packages than to issue invoices and carry our credit control procedures.
As a result, a small part of the £11m that is billed each year to people receiving care in the home was not subject to rigorous collection procedures.
Up to £1m (not £11m and certainly not £200m, Mr Power) may prove non-collectible and may have to be written off against a bad debts provision.
Letting this situation run was a bad decision and it should not have been allowed to happen.
The fact that many vulnerable and needy people were saved the necessity to pay for their care may be good news for them, but it is not really fair on others who did pay without being chased.
However, to suggest the whole council is wasteful and inefficient and that there is a scandal is to inflate the situation beyond recognition.
It is particularly unfair on hard-pressed social care staff.
An independent inquiry has already been commissioned and will be conducted by an external firm of auditors.
KEITH MITCHELL
Leader
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