Sir, I note with interest the letter headed 'Money is no object.for some' from Clr. Jacob Williams in your paper dated October 24, regarding the pay-off to Mr. Bryn Parry Jones, chief officer, Pembrokeshire County Council. Clr. Williams uses the words 'pay-off', so was he made redundant or did he ask to leave? If it was not redundancy, why are we paying out such a high amount?. Having followed this fiasco on-line, I would agree with Clr. Williams that no settlement should have been agreed before the disciplinary investigation proceedings had come to its conclusion. What was the urgency? The question that now needs answering, given the final agreed figure of £250,000-plus was £50,000 less than Eversheds had advised councillors to award, is will the county council be seeking a reduction in their fees? There has been much comment in the media for many years on the salary paid to Mr. Parry Jones. Considering his workload has been passed on to the director of transportation for several weeks, do we need another highly paid employee at County Hall or can the positions be amalgamated? It seems that a Mr. Pykett, who was said to be Mr. Parry Jones's deputy, did not assume the role when he took 'leave of absence', so what reduction can be expected in his salary; that is if he was not doing it on a voluntary basis. I would appreciate Clr. Jacob Williams and his 'comrades in arms' advising the readers of the Observer if they consider a new chief officer is needed, and if so, at what salary level he should be engaged? If a much lower salary is suggested by Clr. Williams, how would he propose enacting this, as there would have to be a corresponding reduction in salaries for the rest of the highly paid employees at Pembrokeshire County Council.

Malcolm Calver, Manorbier.