Economies of scale

It ISN’T necessarily the case, as Ben Thomson implies, that local political responsibility depends on financial responsibility (Perspective Extra, 22 March).

Arguably, some administrative centralisation, to get economies of scale, is compatible with local democracy and accountability.

How efficient is it to have a plethora of local authorities, health, police and fire boards?

Significantly, in their present form, Reform Scotland’s proposals for local government finances are expensive and unworkable.

Take for example the anachronistic business rate based on a formula of a property’s rentable value. This bears no relation to business turnover, profitability or economic circumstances such as or recession.

Ellis Thorpe

Old Chapel Walk

Inverurie, Aberdeenshire