County council leader defends cuts
Warwickshire County Council leader Alan Farnell has answered some of his critics in the Labour Party about cost cutting on children’s services.
Cllr Farnell said that as part of the three year plan laid out in 2011/12 most services had to contribute towards the overall deficit reduction - but children’s services had been relatively protected and took smaller cuts than other local government services.
Cllr Farnell said: “Overall, government grant funding reduced by 28 per cent over this period. Children’s Centres have been presented with a seven per cent reduction in their direct funding - so far less than the average reduction - and have been tasked with identifying measures to manage within this reduction.”
“At the same time the authority is investing an additional £2.7 million ongoing revenue in other aspects of Children’s Services (primarily support for increased numbers of ‘Looked After Children’.
“It is also targeting an additional £2.3 million of one-off monies to buy time to rethink how some early intervention services are delivered in the future and adding another £0.5 million into improving services for young people.
“Nursery grade budgets are set with reference to a largely nationally set formula that reflects the number of pupils they support.
“Nursery school budgets are set with reference to a largely nationally set formula that reflects the numbers of pupils they support.
“These budgets have not yet been finalised, as the data on pupils in nursery schools is currently being collected. But Funding is certainly not being reduced by seven per cent.”
Labour group opponents like Warwick town councillor John Holland says how can the overall cut not amount to 15 per cent if overall costs had risen by eight per cent.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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