• Question & Answer Session

Michelle Gray explained that over the next three years, about a third of the Council’s funding from Government [equating to around £100 million] will be removed.  On 10 September, the Council launched a consultation exercise, ‘What Really Matters’, asking members of the public what they think the Council’s priorities should be and to express their views on the decisions needed to transform and improve the Wirral’s services to its residents. People’s views are vital and will make a difference and it is important therefore that as many people as possible participate in the consultation.  Paper copies of the questionnaire are available at Council One Stop Shops, Libraries, and other public buildings, or the questionnaire can be completed on line on the Council’s website.  Urged residents to take a questionnaire for themselves and family/friends to be completed by Friday 19^th October 2012.

A discussion took place on whether the £100million was per annum and how much of the left over £200million is spoken for.

Cllr A Jones commented that the Council hasn’t cut this £100million, Central Government has taken it away. The Council has to do its best to run as many services as it can with what’s left over. Cllr A Jones followed on to say public consultation has never been popular, but we need to know as many residents priorities as we can as one persons (priorities) are different from the next.

Joe Lee said that 2 years ago 1,200 people went on voluntary redundancies. He asked “Where has that saving gone?” Cllr A Jones said the Council administration then in power funded it by borrowing £9million for the voluntary redundancies 2 years ago and this will take approximately 25 years to pay back.

A resident told the Forum, Cllrs in Southampton Council have said that Central Government cuts are attacking society so much that they are opposing the action Government have told them to carry out. The Southampton Cllrs have called for Cllrs all round the Country to oppose this action.

Will we hear in our press the same good news rather than the scandal we keep hearing?

Cllr A Jones said “We are being asked to ‘refuse to implement the cuts’, but you can’t refuse to implement cuts that somebody else has implemented already, The cuts are being made by the government.  We can’t say to the Government ‘We’re going to spend the money you’re not giving us’.  When the government cuts the Council’s money, it’s just not there to be spent by the Council  in the first place.”

Cllr Dodd suggested residents complete the questionnaire and put their ideas and suggestions on paper.

Cllr Mooney said Cllrs are doing their very best to deal with the difficult decisions being put on them. “Don’t know how we’re going to stand up against Central Government but all Cllrs are going to fight as far as they can”.

A resident suggested that the Council employ dept collectors to retrieve unpaid Council Tax.

Cllr Dodd responded to say we have a 97% collection rate and we have a team who work very hard to get this money back.