SIR - The T&A front page headline 'Spending Fear Over Child Trust Plan' (July 31) raises serious concerns.

The matter was discussed at a recent meeting of Bradford Council’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee as reported by Chris Young (July 31). The officer’s answer to Cllr Stubbs (Lib Dem Eccleshill) is revealing. Mrs Hyde (Strategic Director Corporate Resources) is reported to have said, “The Council had a contract with the Trust but that contract had been drawn up ‘very quickly’."

After the meeting Cllr Mike Pollard (Con Baildon) said, “It’s clear that, from what the Council’s Director of Finance said, that there have been further in-budget increases in the already high number of agency staff.”

He further commented that “It’s noted that the Trust will submit a mitigating ‘business plan’ in September. It would probably have been a good idea to produce such a plan before the Trust arrangements went ‘live’ in April.”

Perhaps it’s time the Council’s Governance and Audit Committee invited the Council’s Chief Executive to its next meeting to account for this situation with Bradford Children’s Trust.

Michael Johnson, Prince Street, Haworth