In answer to a question about the gender pay gap at Herefordshire Council, with female staff receiving 85p for every £1 paid to their male colleagues, Councillor Nigel Shaw, the cabinet member for finance and corporate services, replied that correcting this injustice 'might not necessarily provide value for money for tax payers'. If he is so concerned about value for money, I have a suggestion. While don't the male councillors voluntarily reduce their allowance to 85% of that of the female councillors?

John Banks

Ledbury