about the decision of Hampshire County Council not to reveal how much their top managers are paid.

Like so many other companies and institutions, this organisation is, first and foremost, run by a few, for the principle benefit of that few.

I wonder if the personnel involved have any idea of the ridicule and distress suffered daily by the low paid and less fortunate of our society. Of course not, and, indeed, would they care if they did?

No, the fact is that it is so easy to spend other people's money and, boy, do they spend it. Whether justifiably or not, there is always more where that came from - the council tax payer!

No doubt Mr Robertson and his overpaid cronies sit pontificating over millions of pounds of budgetary cuts, but make themselves immune from those very cuts.

Rewarding themselves for the very failure that necessitates the need for the cuts being required in the first place. A trend that is so familiar in Britain today.

Government cutbacks are part of the story, but not the whole story. No wonder that they do not want their salaries bandied about in the public arena!

However, they are only public servants and accountable' as such (or are they?).

I hope that a further appeal is made to the information commissioner and that he or she forces the council to comply with the Freedom of Information Act, if for no other reason than to point out to these people that they are not above the law.

EWAN HAMMAN, Warsash.