Councillors' Perk to End (Leeds Liberal Democrats)

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

Councillors' Perk to End

February 28, 2006 12:00 AM

Years of subsidised dining for elected members on Leeds City Council will come to an end following an announcement in this afternoon's Council budget speech that the Members Dining Room in the Civic Hall will no longer be subsidised by Council Tax Payers.

Councillor Mark Harris (Lib Dem, Moortown), Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Leader of the Council said "For many years while the Liberal Democrats were in opposition, we called for the Labour administration to end the subsidy for Members' Dining in the Civic Hall. Last year, in an attempt to get it to break even, we trialled a scheme where Council staff were allowed to use the facility. However it was still losing money at an alarming rate, so there is no alternative but to end the subsidy."

"I'm sure the people of Leeds will agree that the Council's money should be used to improve frontline services where they are most needed, rather than to provide cut-price meals for Councillors. It's just a shame that our Labour predecessors let the situation carry on for so many years without taking action".

Notes to Editors: The subsidy for the Members' Dining Room was previously in the region of £105,000 per annum. This year (2005/06), even after allowing Council staff to use the Dining Room, it is still running at a loss of £51,900.

The views in this Press Release are those of the Liberal Democrat Council Group, and not necessarily those of Leeds City Council, its Officers or of the Liberal Democrat Party.