Cambridgeshire: Lib Dems win scrutiny for alternative budget

5.12.59pm GMT Wed 1st Nov 2006

Lib Dems on the County Council are today celebrating success in securing proper scrutiny for their alternative budget proposals.

The Liberal Democrat alternative County Council budget will now go through public scrutiny process, similar to the one undergone by the Cabinet's budget. Following pressure by Liberal Democrats a special Corporate Services Scrutiny meeting will be held to discuss the Liberal Democrat budget.

Coun Huppert commented:

"For the last few years the Opposition Liberal Democrat group has produced a fully costed and considered alternative budget. We have proposed reversing cuts to evening and weekend bus services, investing in our under-funded and underperforming youth service and making savings in backroom Council operations. Yet every year the Conservative Cabinet backs away from properly considering our proposals, claiming that they have not had enough time to look at them.

"Given the very tight constraints on the County Council's budget because of the Conservative administration's poor financial management, it will not be easy for the Liberal Democrats to produce a magic formula to solve all the County's problems but the Liberal Democrats may well have different priorities than the administration.

"We're confident that our budgets will withstand proper scrutiny and so we're very pleased that the Council will now scrutinise our budget thoroughly and publicly."

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Special Meeting of the Corporate Services Scrutiny Meeting will be held between 10.30 and 12.30 am on February 16 2007.