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News Release 19th November 2003INCREASED PRESSURE ON COUNCIL TAXMichael Fabricant today expressed his disappointment with the local government funding allocations announced by Minister, Nick Raynsford in the House of Commons today. While the Government boasted that there would be an increase in funding, they failed to mention that Government demands on local government have put up council running costs dramatically. "The increase of 2.6% for Lichfield does not begin to cover the £400,000 of extra burdens enforced on the District Council by the Government. As a direct consequence of Government intervention, local council tax payers will now have to stump up a further £400,000 that they wouldn't otherwise have had to do. This will force our Council into making some tough decisions. Just to have covered the increased costs forced on the Council and to have stood still, the Government would have needed to have given to District Council a 10% increase in funding." says Michael Fabricant. "Meanwhile, my concern grows for the plight of funding for Staffordshire schools. The 5.6% increase announced for the County also does not take into account the increased costs forced on them. I have now asked the Government to publish a league table showing how much Staffordshire school students will now receive compared with those in other local education authorities. As with the police and other services, the Government must accept that if they increase administrative burdens, the taxpayer has to pay for them." |
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