Who on earth devised budget survey, asks questioner

The questioner added: "It was a fluke that we found it in the first place ... perhaps you don't want to hear the answers.

"I hope it didn't cost loads of money to produce or did you get the under 10's to produce it? Not only is it very difficult to use it does not get facts right. Only 12 toilets in the district ... I think there are more than that in Bexhill.

"We are led into changing our minds about the answers ... anyway we tried and gave up."

The leader replied: "The council uses a number of channels of communication including its website, newspapers and direct mailing or contact with its residents.

"The budget questionnaire has been developed by a professional research company and has been used successfully around the country by many other councils.

"The main consultation is done by interviewing 250 residents randomly selected by the research company who are taken through the questionnaire and their views recorded.

"This is a statistically-reliable sample level that will be used by my colleagues and myself to inform the budget setting process for 2008/09 and beyond.

"To supplement this, the budget questionnaire was also made available on the council's website, shown under the 'what's new' section from before Christmas.

"The interview results will be reported to the council's overview and scrutiny committee on the 28 January.

"The survey cost on average 39p per household.

"The services and facilities quoted in the questionnaire relate solely to those owned by Rother District Council and not those owned by Parish/Town Councils or other organisations."