I worked for over 20 years as a civil servant and have seen the change from “noble numbers”, when staff levels were controlled, to the push by Government to reduce unemployment.

My first position was in the licensing department, which covered the whole of the county, and the total number in this department was 11, with just one manager.

When I left, there were 53 in the department and three managers and, due to duplication of jobs, it was a fact that fewer licences were issued each year, due to the increase in bureaucracy and non-cooperation between managers.

Meetings were the order of the day, due to all the problems, and all and sundry tended to be invited; many sitting at the meeting for hours without saying a word and with the real work not being done.

So, with the large workforce, the management struggled to cope and was a far cry from the tight-knit team that worked so constructively.

Now Wiltshire Council have slimmed their workforce and, hopefully, will become more effective and the burden on the management will lessen and I feel sure the percentage of management to staff is higher than it was before. So why the increase in expenses?

Go back prior to the redundancies and someone like Jane Scott would have justified her position and expenses by the so-called enormous work load and responsibility she has and having to work hard being fully occupied 24/7.

So now we are to expect her to increase her workload to justify her increase in expenses. How will she do that? It will just not happen, as it’s an impossible task in relation to the increase.

I was a manager for many years and have been through the process of slimming the workforce to survive, being sensible to keep the key personnel and weed out the less capable. My stress levels were reduced, as I was able to delegate, with some confidence, to take the pressure off me.

We are being conned by believing that the reduction in staff will give the management a bigger workload, but they just delegate and have fewer people to work with. Are we to assume they will be doing menial work? No chance. It’s just an excuse to increase their expenses that is in no way justifiable.

Sadly, nothing will be done and it’s just the taxpayer that will be the loser.

Tony Scott, Blackthorn Way, Staverton.