I cannot allow M Forrest (Letters, February 1) to get away with the statement "Brighton and Hove City Council doesn't care how much its properties fall into disrepair because it intends to hand them over to the RSL housing association".

The housing management sub-committee heard on January 29 how the council proposed to spend more than £12 million on its planned maintenance programme in 2003/4.

This is in addition to the extensive day-to-day ongoing repairs budget. The committee also heard the average rent in the coming year would be £51.92 a week.

The committee has ten elected tenant representatives on it, whose views should be taken very seriously - more seriously, dare I say, than those who prefer, instead, to attempt to damage the council by unsubstantiated allegations.

-Jack Hazelgrove, Chairman, Housing Management Committee, Brighton and Hove City Council