Child death row as council approves £9.2m of cuts (From Bucks Free Press)

Child death row as council approves £9.2m of cuts

1:01pm Thursday 5th August 2010 in News By Oliver Evans

COUNCIL chiefs today approved £9.2m of cuts amid warnings they will hit the most vulnerable in society.

Ruling Conservatives at Buckinghamshire County Council voted through cuts for looked after children, residential care for OAPs, alcohol treatment and domestic violence programmes.

A cut in funding for road safety will see ten fixed speed cameras removed – but bosses pledged to put savings into road repairs. The locations will be named on Wednesday.

A Liberal Democrat bid to delay the decision so consultation can take place was rejected after leader Cllr David Shakespeare said this would increase the savings target.

He said: “While others may shy away from difficult decisions, we have to take responsibility for dealing with this decision now.

“We have to take decisive action on behalf of the council taxpayers.”

He said cuts in the coalition Government’s emergency budget for this year and more demand for children’s social services after the Baby P scandal had hit funds.

The authority was also paying high social care costs for non-Bucks residents after treatment at The National Society for Epilepsy in Chalfont St Peter, he said.

Cllr Shakespeare said: “I cannot say to you hand on heart that none of these reductions will affect public services. They will, absolutely, without a doubt.”

Yet Cllr Mary Baldwin, while accepting the need for cuts, said BCC should consult and wait until a major review of Government spending is published in October.

She said: “You are making a mockery of any consultation you will have for next year’s budget.

“You are saying ‘we want to know what you think but we will ignore it three months down the line’.”

Click the link at the bottom of this story for an in depth report from the meeting.

Lib Dem Julia Wassell asked if cuts to children’s care would ‘make it more likely that a child death will occur in Buckinghamshire’. This led to cries of ‘shame’ from Tories.

Protection boss Cllr Lin Hazell said: “I cannot make any guarantee, you know that.” She said ‘all the money in the world’ couldn’t prevent deaths at the hands of others.

Lib Dem Cllr Chester Jones said cuts to domestic violence programmes ‘sounds like a horror story’ – but Cllr Hazell said the burden was increasingly falling on police.

Children and young people’s services are making the most savings, £5.4m.

This led to Lib Dem questions about why deputy leader Cllr Bill Chapple was only saving £88,000, particularly when £105,000 is going on The Buckinghamshire Times.

The magazine – dismissed by some as ‘propaganda’ – is delivered free to homes and is shared with the county’s four district councils.

Cllr Chapple said he could not quickly cancel the deal and his budget is smaller than others, meaning smaller cuts are made.

Lib Dem Cllr Michael Brand said cuts were a result of past ‘failures’ including an abandoned bid to merge councils and then later share services and ‘transform’ how it works.

But Tory Cllr Steven Adams said: “Conservatives have shown leadership on this council. We will continue to make the tough decisions.” He said national Lib Dems were leading urgent cuts.

And colleague Cllr Trevor Egleton, who leads a backbench watchdog committee on spending, said: “We have no alternative but to act now and reduce costs.”

Click the links below for more.