Labour demands Openness and Transparency in Budget.
Essex Labour group of Councillors are tabling amendments to Full Council Budget meeting this week.
Essex Labour group of Councillors are tabling amendments to Full Council Budget meeting this week.
These amendments will provide more openness and transparency to the activities of the council: –
We propose spending:
1) An additional £60,000 to carry out an independent review of Children’s services to ascertain what impact year on year budget savings have had on early intervention and prevention.
2) An additional £60,000 to carry out a review into the impact of Early Intervention and Prevention on Adult Social Care. The outcome of this review will provide evidence to lobby Central Government to give future adequate funding of Adult Social Care
3) To carry out an independent review of Highways covering the quality of the contract and repairs at a cost of £105,000.
This will all be funded from the current Innovation Fund Reserve.
Labour Group leader Councillor Ivan Henderson stated “We have grave concerns in all these 3 areas of council activities.
From our own residents we know that there have been big negative impacts on Social Care ever since the Conservative council introduced the new charging policy, asking people to pay for their own care. In addition, they are recommending a £30M cut in adult social care and this is even with the chiefs at county hall implementing a 5% council tax rise this year .”
“In recent years we have seen an end to elderly fall prevention services and an end to Meals on Wheels. We urgently need a review and need to lobby central government for more resources. “
Nationally Children’s services face a £2 billion funding gap by 2020 and is now the immediate pressure for councils and Essex County Council is no different. The council have a £5. 3M overspend in children’s services which is why Labour are asking for a review to ascertain the impact of budget cuts on early intervention and prevention measures.
Essex Labour councillors want a thorough review of the Highways contract focusing on quality of the work done. Central government is investing £1.1M for every mile on Motorways but local roads in Essex are only getting £21K per mile in comparison. It is essential that local roads are being looked after and maintained efficiently and properly.
Councillor Ivan Henderson says “After nearly eight years of Conservative government, councils have lost over 40 per cent of their funding. And as a result, Essex County Council will increase borrowing to £350M over the next 3 years. The Leader of the Council has stated there will be a funding gap of £94 million for ECC when Government funding comes to an end in 2020.
And actually, we do not know how local government will even work post 2020, because the government is giving no assurances around how local government will be funded after March 2020. This is astonishing and shows the ineptitude of this current Conservative government.”
ENDS
Essex Labour Group Leader contact details:
Councillor Ivan Henderson
Mobile: 07889 367822
Source- http://www.essexlabour.org.uk/labour_demands_openness_and_transparency_in_budget