Inquiry into Advice over 'Unfair' Charging is a Whitewash (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

Leeds Liberal Democrats <info@leedslibdems.org.uk>

Inquiry into Advice over 'Unfair' Charging is a Whitewash

April 10, 2003 6:00 PM

Councillor Mark Harris, Leader of the Opposition and Liberal Democrat Group on Leeds City Council, has condemned a report on misleading information provided to Opposition Councillors on 'Unfairer' charging as a 'whitewash'. The report, which comes to the Council's Executive Board next Wednesday, fails to even consider the period during which the Opposition parties were drawing up their amendments, or the advice they were receiving from senior Officers.

Cllr Harris said "During the whole sorry saga of the Labour Leadership's determination to charge the elderly and disabled of Leeds up to £75 a week for basic social services, they have attempted to shroud their actions in a cloak of secrecy. During two debates in full Council and three debates at the Executive Board no one even raised the option of introducing charges for some home care services and not for others. Indeed a briefing prepared for all Councillors back in July last year by the Council's Social Services Department stated clearly "there should be one assessment of charge to cover ALL the services received". "

"When Liberal Democrat run Liverpool City Council introduced charges for only some services and not for others, we smelt a rat, a very large rat, and challenged the Leader of Council as to why opposition parties had been given misleading advice. During the whole period we were receiving advice from Officers about our options for budget amendments it was never brought to our attention that there was an option to charge for some services and not others. It wasn't only us who were surprised that such an option existed, senior Council Officers were taken aback when we pointed out what had happened in Liverpool and initially told us it might be illegal. Only after they had investigated the issue did they return and tell us it was possible."

"Groups campaigning against the charges are currently looking into the possibility of launching a legal challenge against the way in which the charges have been introduced. Meanwhile we remain committed to removing these unfair charges after the May 1st local elections, if the people of Leeds give us the power to do so."