Research carried out by the Home Office into neighbourhood policing published today found that nationally:
- 53% of people say that they know little or nothing about their local Police team
- 58% say they know little or nothing about how to find out about where and when Police Neighbourhood meetings are held
- 66% of people know what local priorities Police are concentrating on in their area.
Cllr Daisy Benson, Lib Dem spokesperson for safer communities said: “The Labour government’s own statistics back up the response we have found from talking to people on the doorstep across Reading where many people don’t know which Police neighbourhood they are in, who is in their Neighbourhood Police team and how to get involved in NAGs.”
“The Police have been trying their best to make neighbourhood policing work in Reading but have lacked resources from the Labour government to engage local people on the ground.”
Cllr Gareth Epps, Parliamentary Candidate for Reading East added: “Labour spin about neighbourhood policing has not been backed up by resources for our Police to be able to do their jobs properly. The Government does not fund Thames Valley Police fairly.
Until recent pressure forced the issue onto the Scrutiny agenda, Labour councillors were simply burying their head in the sand.
The Lib Dems have campaigned successfully to get communications support for Neighbourhood Police Action Groups (NAGs) included in this years budget.
This will help increase public confidence in the work of our hardworking local Police teams. It will also deliver a much-needed boost to community involvement in Neighbourhood Action Groups.”
Editor’s Notes
- An item on Neighbourhood Policing, communication and the Safer Reading programme is to be tabled at the 18 March meeting of the CCEA Scrutiny Panel.
- Home Office statistics on public perceptions of crime can be found here: Home Office Policing Pledge
- find more background on the Lib Dem campaign here: Redlands Improvements
The government is to lend up to £2bn of taxpayers’ money to firms building schools and other public projects under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI).
Cllr Gareth Epps, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Reading East commented: “For months Liberal Democrats in Reading have been warning that the Government’s PFI schools programme would need bailing out. Labour remain wedded to a PFI model that is completely wrong. This latest move looks like little more than window-dressing. We have to wonder if this scheme will ever find its way as far as Reading.”
Cllr Kirsten Bayes, Lib Dem spokesperson for Education on Reading Borough Council added: “Reading’s secondary schools have been waiting years for these investments, and once again there are question marks over the financing. This is a deeply flawed scheme, as we have said so from the beginning, yet we have been met with studied Labour complacency. We are very concerned at the impact these problems could have on children’s learning.”
Editor’s Notes –
- Despite recent claims (from a reply given to a written question at the 27 Febuary Council meeting) made by Labour’s Lead Member for Education, Cllr Jon Hartley, that the Building Schools For the Future programme(BSF): “will enable us to transform all state secondary schools within the Borough…and will also provide the opportunity to build in the extra school places that will arise from the current Admissions Review process.”
Reading Borough Council is still no closer to benifiting from Building Schools For the Future Programme.
- Background to the story can be found here: at the BBC and in the Guardian
Lib Dems have welcomed the revised Budget agreed at a meeting of the Council on 2 March which contains a number of wins for local people including:
- Funding for the creation of a new ‘green hit squad’ targeting fly tipping hot spots across the borough
- Reduction in bulky waste charges to help Reading’s poorest residents
- Communications support for Reading’s network of Neighbourhood Police Action Groups (NAGs)
- The purchase of ‘speed guns’ to improve road safety
The Lib Dem plan which won Labour support also saw a minimum of £200,000 put back into the Council reserves.
Spending was made possible by savings in Labour’s budget identified by the Lib Dems, including:
- A freeze of councillors’ allowances
- Reducing the amount the Council spends on refreshments at Council meetings
- Reducing spending on non-essential items such as marketing and PR and consultants.
Labour politicians also agreed to the creation of a cross-party Budget Review Group, proposed by the Lib Dems. This Group will identify areas where savings can be made this year.
Lib Dem Group Leader, Cllr Gareth Epps commented:
“The budget agreed tonight containing a package of measures put forward by the Lib Dems which represents a better deal for Reading residents: cutting spending on spin and costly consultants, and focusing resources where they are needed most – helping to make the town cleaner, greener and safer.”
He added:
“What has been agreed tonight is a massive improvement on what had been proposed by Labour.
The cross-party Budget Review Group the Lib Dems put forward will be crucial to identify waste in the Council and ensure next year’s Budget is based on a firmer footing.”
Labour’s plan raided reserves and left nothing for a rainy day. As things stand the forecast for public sector funding looks ever bleaker.”
The approach taken by the Conservative Group was a disgrace – without a single positive idea. Had we followed their approach, the job of everyone working for the Council would have been put at risk. The Conservatives have proved themselves incapable of setting a budget.
It was left to the Lib Dems to stand up for the people of Reading – the only group to come forward with a plan for a lower Council Tax rate.”
