Speech by Cllr Mike Cox

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group

at the Council Tax setting meeting

23rd February 2007

Mr Mayor

This budget just doesn't add up

Setting a budget for any organisation is always a difficult process. There are always conflicting priorities. In Hillingdon that process is made doubly difficult by having to deal with the vagaries of central government funding of important national issues.

Difficult decisions have to be made which WILL affect front line services. It is dishonest to pretend otherwise.

We are now 5 years into the new system of local government yet in Hillingdon we have made little or no progress in consulting on the annual budget. I was extremely dismayed to read the comments of the Social Services Health and Housing committee where they again criticised the format in which the budget is presented. We haven't progressed very far have we?

It is dishonest to pretend that consultation is taking place when valid concerns are ignored and scorn poured over fears for the welfare of the most vulnerable in our community

This cabinet believes it can save £13m in "so called" efficiency saving without cutting front line services…This is dishonest

Of the £13m "so called" savings

• £3.2m are cuts to services for older people
• £1.7m are cuts to children's services
• £1.95m are cuts to the most vulnerable, the disabled, and the homeless
• £0.6m are cuts to other services

They have even raised £1.3m by inflation busting "double digit" increases in charges for services to residents

I have no doubt there is good work going on in the HIP based working parties. I sat on one of them for many years. I should know. If the administration can find these savings suddenly without cutting services it begs the question "What have the Conservatives been doing for the last 8 years".

The fact is these are not efficiency savings; these are cuts. They are cuts to Homecare, they are cuts to children's services, they are cuts to mental health placements and they are cuts to learning disabilities. There are even cuts to community safety!

Amongst all this the Cabinet are throwing a few crumbs

Discounts for Pensioners are indeed a welcome relief for poor pensioners but only at the expense of hard working young families who are being bitten hard by increases in mortgage rates.

Additional funding for the voluntary sector to make up for the disgraceful cuts in funding to key partners such as the Race Equality Council and the Law Centre will not cover the real story.

The Conservative administration has made it quite clear they don't care about harmony in this borough. They don't care about democracy and they don't care about the most vulnerable.

This is a dishonest budget; it is a budget that doesn't even add up. Check out the Savings in Appendix 6.............. its £100,000 short!!! It doesn't even add up!

Mr Mayor we will oppose this budget.