Celia Barlow MP is rapidly picking up the tricks of her more senior parliamentary Labour colleagues by completely avoiding the question put to her, then blaming the bad, old Tories (Letters, June 6)

Our original question that her statement to the House of Commons on the King Alfred development was not true wasn't even mentioned in her letter.

Should we assume she still believes the development "will cost the taxpayer not a single penny"?

We're sure the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards would be interested to see the council committee reports, which show local council taxpayers, alone, have already forked out £750,000 (not £250,000 as we wrote in our original letter) on this scheme which, incidentally, hasn't even received planning permission yet.

Instead of answering, she tries to create a smokescreen by raking up issues which happened ten years ago.

We only became councillors two years ago and had nothing to do with any of the planning issues she mentions.

Perhaps she would also like to elaborate to her constituents on the development's supposed "world-class sports facilities"?

Is she referring to the new Olympic-size swimming pool, which will be about a third smaller than the existing King Alfred pool?

Or maybe she means the indoor bowls facility, which will not even be a part of the development.

Perhaps even the health and fitness suite and hydrotherapy pool which, under current plans, will be empty rooms.

Your readers might also be interested to know the current proposals only received approval, in principle, at committee last Monday because the Lib Dem representative decided not to take part, explaining his absence as a conflict of interest.

-Averil Older and Jan Young, Conservative Councillors, Central Hove