Michael 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."