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PRIVATE COUNCIL MEETING WILL DECIDE FUTURE OF COUNTY YOUTH SERVICES
October 2, 2007 5:40 PM
Liberal Democrat councillors will be challenging a vital decision on the County's youth services tomorrow. The meeting will be held behind closed doors.
The recent Tory cabinet decision to contract out all of the county youth services to a private contractor is being challenged by councillors in a critical scrutiny meeting being held behind closed doors on Wednesday.
The cabinet decided on the 5th of September to award the contract for youth services currently provided by the council along with those currently provided by Connexions, to a private company called "Prospects".
£11 million of taxpayers' money is at stake and millions of pounds of cuts to youth services in Gloucestershire are possible depending on how the contract is awarded. There is also an £850,000 pensions deficit for staff currently employed by Connexions which remains unresolved.
Cllr Jeremy Hilton, Liberal Democrat group leader said:
"This is a momentous decision for the future of youth support services in Gloucestershire and neither myself nor other Liberal Democrat councillors are allowed to reveal to the public what we know about the details of this decision. The future state of youth services will be decided behind closed doors. We are concerned that the current level of services may be reduced, and that the youth services should remain fully accountable to the public. We believe it is in the public interest for people in Gloucestershire to be told the full details of this decision and the impact it may have on youth services. The Tory cabinet should not be hiding behind the smokescreen of commercial confidentiality when the future of a public service is at stake."
Critical questions that remain unanswered are:
Will the private contractor fund the £850,000 pensions deficit for staff transferred from employment at Connexions?
Will the £850,000 pensions deficit be funded by cutting Youth Services?
How much of the £11million of taxpayers money will be taken out of Gloucestershire by the private company?
How much of the £11million of taxpayers money will be used to pay the company directors' salaries?
What control, if any, will publicly elected councillors or council officers have over the spending of £11million of taxpayers' money?
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