Lib Dems demand fair deal for hardest hit councils (Kirsty Williams AM )

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Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Lib Dems demand fair deal for hardest hit councils

December 5, 2007 3:00 PM

Mick Bates and Kirsty Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Members for Powys, are firing up their fight for a better budget settlement as the WLGA identify £26.4million of flexibility in the draft Assembly Government budget, which could be used to support the delivery of front-line local services.

The recent draft budget proposal saw Powys, Conwy and Anglesey bottom of the charts with the lowest settlements in Wales. Commenting Montgomeryshire AM Mick Bates:

"The Labour-Plaid treatment of local government in the provisional settlement is disgraceful. Powys has received the lowest increase in local council grant settlement at just 1% - this shows a complete lack of understanding and sympathy for the issues that we face in delivering vital local services.

"Rural Wales faces immense challenges as with such a dispersed population access to services presents a huge increase to costs. Yet these challenges are not reflected in the settlement and I am deeply disappointed that the Labour-Plaid Assembly Government has shown such neglect.

"The Labour-Plaid Government has failed to fight for a good deal for Wales and this leaves our local authorities with impossible decisions over where to cut back and I fear substantial cuts across the board.

"The WGLA has identified £26.4million in the budget which could be transferred to increase core RSG funding for councils. Clearly the money is there - it is just a matter of priorities.

"Kirsty Williams and I will do everything possible to fight for an increase in budget. We shall campaign for an Assembly Government funded 1.5% floor for Local Government Settlements - The Labour-Plaid Government has failed the people of Wales with a shambolic settlement and we must not be forced to pay for its mistake."

Commenting on the budget Brecon & Radnorshire AM Kirsty Williams further condemns the appalling local government settlement given to Powys:

"The Minister has called for councils to be more efficient and save money. But what the Minister calls efficiencies will almost certainly mean reduced services and higher charges for you and me.

"Everyone accepts this will be a tough settlement and it clearly isn't the time for new things. This is a year for concentrating on bread and butter issues and we must be focusing front line frontline services such as educational provisions, social services and public transport, not free gimmicks such as laptops.

"The difficulties and expenses faced by a rural county have clearly not registered on the Cardiff-centric Plaid-Labour radar and this settlement is a mockery of the 'One Wales' agreement in its division neglect of rural areas.

"I have challenged the Minister to acknowledge that this terrible settlement is as a result of the Plaid-Labour Government's failure to get a better budget deal for Wales."

Notes:

The settlement in 2007-08 was increased by 3.7% compared to the Welsh average of 4.3%.

The 2006-2007 increase was 5.0%, compared to the Welsh average of 4.4%.

The 2005-2006 increase was 5.5%, compared to the Welsh average 5.1%