16 March (Part 1) - Conservatives speak in favour of their Budget
Conservative Janice Ward-Wilson (Crook Log) the
Chairman of the Adults’ Social Care and Health Committee was the
first to speak in favour of the 4·99% Council Tax increase. No guarantee of
“future Government funding presents significant risks”. The Employment Rights
Bill is an added burden and along with the NIC increases “the Care Market could be destabilised’.
Next was Lisa Moore (Longlands) who Chairs the Children’s Services Committee. Greater
demands, increasing unit costs and more complex needs have created “a perfect
storm. New residential placements have cost more than half a million pounds and
the more complex ones are costing close to a million a year”. New EHCPs come in
steadily all year at a rate 10% above what was anticipated and the travel
costs have gone up by an average of 11%.
The Budget provides £9·7 million for Children in
2025/26, an increase of 18% over last year.
Next it was Labour’s turn again.