GUILDFORD MP CALLS ON GOVERNMENT FOR FAIR FUNDING SETTLEMENT FOR WAVERLEY

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 9th Feb 2004

Sue Doughty MP joined Waverley Councillors today who were handing in a letter from the Leader of Waverley Council to the Local Government Minister, the Rt Hon Nick Raynsford MP. The letter calls on the Minister to address inaccurate claims from Whitehall that have overstated the level of funding increase that Waverley will receive.

At a House of Commons debate on the Local Government Finance Report this afternoon, Sue asked Nick Raynsford for an explanation for the discrepancy in funding that is affecting Waverley, but did not receive a satisfactory answer. The Minister gave assurances that not all councils will be capped at same level, so Sue will be setting up a meeting with the Minister in the hope of getting a common agreement on the basis of funding for Waverley to give the council clarity on the financial constraints they must work within.

Sue said:

"Yet again the Government has promised decent funding rises for our local councils, but once we get the opportunity to look at the detail, we see that the figures have been fiddled. The Government must keep its promise and ensure that Waverley receives the level of funding they were led to expect.

"The Minister uses the term 'floors and ceilings' to describe council grants. It would be better to call it smoke and mirrors."