MRS J Thornley, of Coniston Drive, Darwen wishes me to provide a breakdown of the £37million spent annually in Darwen (Letters, November 4). Here it is! (all figures approximately).

Education/schools, £19.5million; social services, £7.5million; leisure £2.5million; highways etc., £1.5million; cleansing and environmental health, £1.5million; economic development and planning, £1million; fire and rescue service, £1million; housing, £250,000; others, £2million.

This list does not include monies spent on the police (separate authority) nor special grant monies obtained by the council.

I can confirm that as a percentage per head this is equal to the money spent on Blackburn.

It costs the same to employ a teacher, educate a child, care for a person with disabilities in Darwen as it does in Blackburn.

I am surprised that Mrs Thornley does not think that I put "the people who elected me first," together with my Sunnyhurst ward colleagues.

I have always tried to do just that -- and since I have been elected on five occasions by people in Sunnyhurst ward, with some of the biggest majorities in the borough, I think this record speaks for itself!

Councillor DAVE SMITH (Sunnyhurst ward), Woodbank Avenue, Darwen.