ACCORDING to John Collins, chairman of the North West Regional Association, the North West is subsidising some of the most affluent counties in the South because of the government grants system.

This is a plainly ridiculous situation when the North West has some of the most deprived areas in the country.

Authorities in London and the South East are given an extra grant to pay for London weighting, which is an extra salary allowance paid to teachers, fire fighters and police to compensate for higher living costs.

Calculations are not based on what these jobs receive but on average salary levels paid to everyone in the capital. And that includes company executives.

It is blatantly unfair.

While teachers, fire fighters and policemen should be helped to meet the higher costs of living in the south, it should not be at the expense of people in the North West.

The association estimates that the North West is losing £13 million a year because of the system.

Why should the North West, with so many problems of its own, subsidise the likes of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Harrow and Westminster?

It is time local government minister David Curry made an urgent review of grant distribution.

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