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Council secretive about cuts |
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Saturday, 26 November 2005 |
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The Labour administration continues to be very secretive about where it
is to find £18 million of cuts (in order to fund the Equal Pay
claim). Savings of £6.8 million are proposed for the
Repairs & Renewals programme although a detailed breakdown has not
been given. However, a breakdown has been promised and is
now awaited after the Finance Sub-Committee on Wednesday
23rd. Similarly, although Social Work is expected to cut
expenditure by £5.2 million before March only £37,000 of this has been
shown in the revised budget. At the same time rumours of
children's homes closing are circulating in the press and amongst trade
unionists.
John Mason has called on the administration to be more open about its
plans. It is an insult to democracy that the Council gives
details via the unions and then the press before Councillors are
provided with the details. We have repeatedly asked at
committees for details of the cuts proposed but we are continually
given the absolute minimum of information. |
