YOUR reporters are to be congratulated on their accurate reporting of the recent equalities advisory group meeting.

Representatives of minority communities did indeed, as you reported, condemn the current Wycombe District Council Tory administration for 'disbanding the race unit' or more properly the 'equalities unit'.

A fact denied on Monday by Tory members, who had been present at the advisory meeting, when they attacked a motion moved by Councillor Shafique on behalf of the Labour Group in which he condemned the proposal to change the post of equality manager to community manager and to downgrade the job, effectively de-focusing the work of the unit.

This was done without consultation with the external agencies with whom the previous equalities manager worked and without the opportunity for councillors not on the Community and Leisure Committee to discuss.

Both opposition parties and an independent opposed the proposals which come at a time when European and Government legislation is placing greater responsibility on local authorities to tackle institutionalised discriminatory practises and attitudes.

The proposals also come after the CRE's chairman has recently said local authorities are failing to address institutional racism. My group firmly reject the Tory watered-down proposals.

Councillor Ted Collins

Wycombe Labour Group