So Brighton and Hove City Council hates having officials spend time answering written questions from opposition parties on issues such as parking, competitive tendering and health services (The Argus, December 3). Shame.

It is the right and duty of opposition parties to question the ruling party, especially when things are so desperately wrong in our city. It is also appropriate to be asking so many questions of the executive when we hear the Government is forcing council tax rates even higher, possibly by as much as £100 a year for each household .

Local residents will be pleased their elected representatives are doing their job, holding the ruling party to account.

The only people with anything to fear from scrutiny are the Labour councillors who are failing in their duty, which is to provide decent services at a fair cost to city residents.

-David Gold, Brighton Pavilion Conservative Executive Council