Your headline "Council pulling out of housing" (The Argus, October 20) should have read: "Housing: Tenants to decide".

Many councillors are totally committed to council housing and a majority of tenants support staying with the council.

That is the clear message from tenants representatives at the East Area Panel, which I chair, and that area covers 33 per cent of the city's housing stock.

The case for staying in-house is a strong one. Housing officers are usually known to tenants.

Councillors are democratically elected and accountable. There is a sound structure of tenant participation and consultation.

At present housing association rents are much higher than council rents.

Tenants would also lose the right to buy if they left the council.

The only reason to change is to pull in more money to improve the housing stock.

The Government seems to be pushing us towards stock transfer as a means of gaining new investment.

However, policy can alter. On June 18 John Prescott said: "We have had to say we will try to provide adequate funding for those who want to say with local authorities."

I am convinced tenants will reject any transfer of housing. If the Government can find money to wage war in Iraq, it can come up with enough cash to keep housing in the hands of the public.

-Francis Tonks, Councillor for Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Wykeham Terrace, Brighton