Speaking in response to the Welsh Government releasing provisional details of the Local Government Settlement for 2012-13, William Graham AM said:
‘This is a particularly disappointing settlement for Councils in South Wales East. Five of the six local authorities in the region have suffered a reduction in funding compared to an average increase of 0.2% across Wales, with Monmouthshire experiencing significantly the largest fall in funding in Wales. The Conservative-led Councils at Monmouthshire and Newport have both won plaudits for their efficient use of public money but the respective reductions of 1.6% and 0.7% in funding will inevitably place considerable strain on services in the next financial year.’
The Conservative AM for South Wales East:
‘While I welcome the Minister for Local Government’s decision to allow councils to freeze council taxes if they so choose, the reality is that the Minister has forced his choice upon our councils leaving them to justify his decision to their constituents.’
‘How can the Welsh Government claim to be protecting education and social services whilst cutting the overall level of funding? With this settlement the Minister is simply passing the buck with his expectation that local authorities will decide the balance between the need to sustain services for their citizens’ benefit and the need to limit additional pressure on hard-pressed households.’
