WE do not deny the right of councillors to have suitable working conditions.

Local authorities are major organisations, employ many people and have multi-million pound budgets. Those individuals elected to ensure such organisations are run efficiently and effectively require an appropriate environment in which to carry out those important duties.

It is with this in mind that we must judge the decision by Durham county councillors to spend £300,000 on their committee and members' rooms.

The cost of the refurbishment may only be a small fraction of the authority's annual budget. But it is still equivalent to the annual salaries of a dozen teachers. As such, councillors need to be in a position fully to justify the cost of the work.

They need to demonstrate to the council tax payers of the county that they have obtained value-for-money in choosing such things as imported Italian wallpaper and expensive fittings for lighting.

They also need to demonstrate the soundness of their judgement in undertaking a project to look after themselves, at a time when they are contemplating a council tax rise at twice the rate of inflation, and when they are pushing ahead with plans to close down old people's homes.

WE did not shed a tear for Railtrack when it was placed into administration.

The company had lost the trust of the travelling public, and had failed in its duty to provide a railway network of adequate levels of safety and quality.

When he took such decisive action against Railtrack, we expected the Transport Secretary to have in mind a strategy to improve the situation. Thus far, we have seen no evidence of such a strategy.

Instead, passengers have had to endure even worse levels of service, with the prospect of further disruption and industrial action ahead.

The demands of rail users are modest. They want trains to run, and to run on time.

It is time Mr Byers provided some indication that he may be capable of delivering what they want.