THE leader of Durham County Council, Councillor Simon Henig, lays great emphasis on the fact it will need to make savings of £90m over the next four years (Echo, Oct 21).

It is time to remind all council members of one group who are already saving the authority tens of thousands of pounds annually – the great number of unpaid parent and family carers who provide many hours of care for adults with learning disabilities, an area where responsibility for such provision rests with the local authority. Many of these carers are now elderly, having provided such care for maybe 40 years or more.

The council has stated previously it appreciates the efforts of these unpaid carers.

But how does it show it?

Well, if the person being cared for has disabilities severe enough to qualify for mobility allowance and they also have provision of subsidised transport to a council day centre then our council is now taking steps to remove that provision using a policy it drew up in 2007.

This will increase the workload on elderly parent and family carers already stretched to the limit.

I cannot see what the council expects to gain from the approach it is adopting. Can someone enlighten me?

John Routledge, Witton Gilbert, Durham.