William Graham (Conservative AM for South Wales East) condemns the Assembly Governments Local Government Settlement that penalises Monmouthshire and Newport Councils.
While the Assembly Government has increased the total amount to be given to local authorities in 2011-12 by 0.2%; it has decreased funding to Monmouthshire by 1.8% – the largest reduction to a single authority in Wales.
Once again the Assembly Government has failed to recognise the challenges of providing services in rural areas, particularly at a time of high fuel costs.
Newport City Council has a 0.8% decrease in funding. This places upon our councils the difficult task of delivering efficiencies to limit the burden of Council Tax rises on taxpayers. It is shameful that Labour Assembly Ministers blocked councils from freezing Council Tax, despite having received £39million to pay for it from the UK Government.
