Far from having "jumped on the political bandwagon" by "blaming" the current infestation of rats in the Covered Market yard on the latest round of cuts to the Labour-run City Council's environmental Health department (Oxford Mail, November 1) my e-mail to your reporter, first alerted the Oxford Mail to the problem.
It said that the latest "cuts and savings have not caused the problem but it is true they will weaken the city's ability to respond effectively".
I also said that the current problem in the Covered Market yard "highlights the increased risks we face following the Labour-run council's short-sighted decision to cut the pest control team by 25 percent" because it does.
But your reporter was wrong to infer from this that I blame the cuts for the current problem.
With fewer pest control and food inspection officers, Oxford will be less well-equipped to deal with similar problems in the future.
As the Greens have consistently highlighted, the latest cuts to the environmental health service are entirely avoidable. This is no political bandwagon, it is a serious matter of public health.
MIKE WOODIN (Cllr)
Green Party
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