I am replying to Liberal Democrat, Cllr Mark Watkin’s letter on Nascot Lawn last week more in sorrow than anger that he felt he had to stoop to a personal attack on myself and the county Labour Group members on such a sensitive issue as the future of our most vulnerable children when he missed the council meeting on July 17 at which the debate he mentions took place.

It is odd to say the least that Cllr Watkin did not take the trouble to find out from his Liberal Democrat colleagues who did attend the very important meeting the facts about what happened on the day.

This is clear in that he failed to mention in his letter that all the Liberal Democrat members present voted for my Labour motion that called on the council “to use all legal options to try to keep Nascot Lawn open on its present site including a referral and called on the leader of the council to write to the new secretary of state to find the money to keep the respite centre open”.

Sadly it was the ruling Conservative Group who voted against my motion and I was not accused by the Liberal Democrats who spoke in support of my motion of ‘showboating’ or ‘hypocrisy’.

Anyone who has known me and my colleagues’ actions over the past year know that I and my group have tried to fight for the rights of the families involved and we have worked closely on a non-party basis with Cllr Watkin and the Liberal Democrat opposition as well as officers and members of the administration at County Hall.

In my speech I spoke of the frustration and anger of the parents of those families who have used Nascot Lawn who have not had their full care packages put in place over the past year, and having to face legal arguments and going through hoops to try and get the care their vulnerable children deserve and are entitled to.

I and the county Labour group will continue to fight for Nascot parents to get the right outcomes for all their children.

Nigel Bell

Herts County Labour Group spokesman on children’s services