Mick Grant

I was intrigued to read today's Scunthorpe Telegraph and their report on councillors' food claims and wanted to set the record straight. I'm not sure why it's suddenly made the news now as receipts have never been needed since the inception of the council 12 years ago. Rates are set by an independent remuneration panel and are independently reviewed every year.

While the figure quoted in the story is correct, this amount is not just for food as is claimedl ('The headline 'Eating Up Your Cash' and mouth watering picture of a pie are slightly misleading!). Infact a large amount of the claim is made up in hotel bills. Later this week, for example, I will be in Sunderland attending a meeting of The Alliance. I will stay in a relatively cheap hotel at a cost of around £70 and then claim the relevant amounts for any meals I have. My portfolio as cabinet member for housing and strategic planning means I attend meetings regionally, sub-regionally and even nationally. Last month I attended Port Talbot in Wales, this week Sunderland. I have perhaps attended six or seven such meetings in the last few months, all of which go towards the allowance stated in the newspaper.

If it wasn't for attending meetings of groups such as The Alliance then millions of pounds of European funding would not have come to North Lincolnshire. You have got to be there fighting the corner of North Lincolnshire or we would just not see the investment. We are currently trying to fight for more Lottery funding for this area as it seems millions of pounds will be diverted to the London Olympics rather than for good causes in North Lincolnshire. I attended a special meeting in Wales earlier this year to fight our cause.  I spoke to the Telegraph so they could inform their readers of what we are trying to do and they didn't print anything. I then spoke to the Deputy Editor and still they did not print anything. Good news clearly isn't as good as bad news!

For the Telegraph to claim my expense allowance is solely for food is totally wrong. Had they asked for a breakdown I would happily have explained it to them - unfortunately it looks as though, when they rang me for a quote for this story three weeks ago, they had made up their mind what the story they wanted to run was.

One councillor asks why members should have lunches paid for as many in the private sector have to pay.  That member makes a good point.  However, if the average salary is £26,000 and North Lincolnshire councillors receive a basic salary of just £7,000, is it really a fair comparison? Are councillors underpaid for the many hours they put in? I am sure many would welcome a simpler scheme giving members a salary with no expenses. But would it really be a better deal for the taxpayer? And how much should that level be set at? If there was an increase from £7,000 to £28,000 I imagine a four-times increase would be met with public outcry!

As for the Tories claiming expenses should be done away with, this is the same Tory group who last month tried to get mileage expenses extended! Their hypocrisy knows no bounds - how John Berry can claim for 9,000 miles when no-one else claims for more than 3,500 and then turn around a month later and say they should be scrapped is beyond me.  Incase Telegraph readers have forgotten about the Tory arrogance, they can be reminded by clicking here !