I read with interest Emma Seith’s piece on the use of colleges’ reserves to help fund regionalisation (26 October).

The table showing colleges’ income and expenditure reserves 2010-11 has the former Edinburgh Telford College in deficit by almost pound;10 million. In fact, the college posted a surplus of pound;33 million that year, the largest of any FE college in Scotland.

In keeping with good governance, and in the best interests of our young people and other key stakeholders, the college’s reserves assisted the merger of three colleges in Edinburgh leading to the creation of Edinburgh College. The new college will play a pivotal role in the further development of an educated and skilled workforce by better aligning education and skills provision with the demands arising from students and employers in our region.

Jim Donaldson CBE, former chair, Edinburgh’s Telford College

Editor: we apologise that owing to a production error, the list of college names was inverted at the last minute. For the correct information, see page 8 in this week’s magazine.