Lib Dems Survey Voluntary Sector Groups (Swindon Liberal Democrats)

Swindon Liberal Democrats <info@swindonlibdems.org>

Lib Dems Survey Voluntary Sector Groups

March 2, 2005 7:27 PM

Voluntary Sector cuts will hit the vulnerable

Tory-run Swindon Borough Council has decimated the voluntary sector in this year's 2005/06 budget. Despite an outcry from the Swindon population Conservatives have ignored calls to reconsider the cuts, so now Liberal Democrats have launched a survey of users that will report to a Council Committee in the near future.

Cllr Stan Pajak (Lib Dem Eastcott) said:

"I am devastated by this short sighted money-pinching scheme by Conservative-run Swindon Borough Council. Liberal Democrats opposed the cuts at the start of this year. We proposed an alternative funding scheme for voluntary groups but the Tories rejected this. And still today, dogmatic Tories refuse to reconsider the plight of the voluntary sector."

As part of the process of putting together the Council's budget, local authorities have to carry out consultation with the public, users, business community and stakeholders. Despite overwhelming support for the voluntary sector in Swindon, the Conservative administration chose to ignore these findings. Below are the results presented to the Tory-run Cabinet on 2nd February 2005.

Swindon Citizens Survey: 35% objection to cuts

Web based form: 52% listing cut as main objection

Paper form from Libraries, etc: 44% listing cut main objection

Stakeholder Conference: say cuts are "least acceptable" option

Resident's Workshop: say cuts are "least acceptable" option

Cllr Pajak continued:

"The reason I stood and serve today as a Councillor is that it gives you the opportunity to represent your community by ensuring the Council provides first class services to all its residents.

"So when the Tories proposed four years ago to cut grants to the voluntary sector who assist the most vulnerable in our community, I felt obliged to stand up for these groups. For three years Lib Dem and Labour groups have successfully seen off the Tories axe, but this year Conservatives won the day and have indeed decimated the voluntary sector in Swindon.

2002/ 03 Conservative group proposed a cut of £103,000. This was defeated by a Labour budget at Full Council.
2003/ 04 Conservative group proposed a cut of £250,000. This again was defeated by a Labour budget at Full Council
2004/ 05 Conservative group proposed a cut of £500,000. This was defeated by a joint Labour and Liberal Democrat budget.
2005/ 06 Conservative group propose a cut of £252,000 to the voluntary sector grant and win the vote.

Cllr Stan Pajak concluded:

"Today the Lib Dem group is proposing a full review of the decision to axe a £¼ million off the grants budget. We will be asking all 150 groups a series of questions, which include the following:

*How the cuts will effect their organisation

*If they have been advised on accessing alternative means of funding

What the effect on their existing and future users will be
If the groups were consulted before the Tory axe fell
How they were informed of the Tory cutbacks

The Chairman of the Services to the Community Scrutiny Commission (Labour Cllr Derique Montaut) has been asked to make time for a full review of grant allocations to take place. The next meeting of this commission will be held on 22nd March