The fastest way for councils to destroy the trust of the electorate is for their decisions to be made behind locked doors and to issue information to the electorate in the form of meaningless statistics.

A councillor writing in the national press puts some of the blame for the "democratic deficit" on the "strong local leadership" promised by the office of the Deputy Prime Minister under the Local Government Act 2000. The councillor claims "The Act's practical application gives vastly enhanced powers to local government officers who may have no natural aptitude for the exercise of authority and whose behaviour is not being curtailed by being obliged to prepare papers and report to committees". It would seem that the problems of ensuring that local government is democratic and open to scrutiny by the electorate and that decision making on local affairs is brought closer to local people have been made worse under the Act.

The problems relating to the aim of ensuring that local government is subject to the will of the electorate, do not stop at putting matters right with the present system. The Minister of State for Local and Regional Government, Nick Raynsford, in his letter to the 'Times' (10/01/04) writes "A move to a unitary structure of local government is likely to lead to larger principle authorities. This may leave a need for an effective voice for local communities - a need for which professional, democratic, well-run parish councils would be ideally placed to fulfil". He goes on to recommend that all parish council members and interested parties let the Boundary Commission have their views on the draft recommendations.

We understand that as part of its review of local government the Boundary Committee has looked at the potential role of parish councils. Have any or all of our councils made any recommendations to the Boundary Committee? If so, it would be interesting to know what recommendations they made. The fact that we now have a Minister of State for Local and Regional Government implies that regional Government is virtually a fait accompli. The further implication is that the district and county councils will disappear and we will be left with only our parish councils to fight for local democracy against the monolithic remote regional government.

Regional governments will require elected councillors and professional staffs. These will undoubtedly come from the redundant occupants of the seats on the present district and county councils. So the same people who are responsible for the present situation, will be managing local affairs in a geographically and structurally remote situation.

Members of the public have problems in attending council meetings now. Just think of the problems for them to attend meetings at regional level! Does anyone really believe that Regional Government, even if parish councils remain, will produce open, democratic government that will allow people to determine the policy for their local area!

If the people of Cornwall were given a choice between accepting regional government or of keeping local government within the county boundaries I think that they would choose the latter. If they were given a choice of the way in which local government in Cornwall is to be organised, they might well choose some form of assembly. If the democratic will is both served and seen to be served, regional government must not be imposed on Cornwall.

From Paul Richardson, Shelburne Road, Falmouth.