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The right steps in Gwynedd

Jul 27th, 2011
by Lee Canning.
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As reported by the BBC, Gwynedd Council in North Wales is freezing parking charges until a review takes place in February 2013. A report to councillors had this to say:

“The review should consider the impact of parking fees on the local economy and the viability of town centres given the possible impact this could have on businesses and residents. This element of the review should include a survey of shopping habits, a survey of businesses’ opinion and give consideration to town centre regeneration schemes.”

The portfolio holder for the environment, Cllr Gareth Roberts, also said, “At a time when retail shops in town centres are struggling to survive, we must address car parking issues to address the volatile economic climate.”

We agree, and if Cllr Roberts and Gwynedd Council can see it, why can’t others? It should be staring them in the face. Too many councils treat motorists as cash cows, assuming that visitors and shoppers will not change their habits and go elsewhere. This has proved a false assumption.

In recent weeks we have highlighted how high parking charges in Salisbury and North Northumberland have had a detrimental impact on businesses. Leeds City Council is proposing to increase charges in some of its car parks by 10%, and Manchester City Council by a whopping 20%. Manchester is already the most expensive place to park outside London.

So a big thumbs-up to Gwynedd who have put the needs of local businesses first. Our hope is other councils around the country will follow Gwynedd’s lead, and not try and make a fast buck out of the people they are supposed to be serving.

£662K for ‘free’ laptops in Wales

Jun 22nd, 2011
by Lee Canning.
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As reported in the South Wales Echo 21st June, a scheme to provide free laptop computers to children throughout Wales is to be scrapped. The previous Welsh Assembly Government had earmarked funding that would have seen 1200 laptops provided to children within areas of deprivation in South Wales.

However, like many similarly well-intentioned schemes, this project has seen Welsh taxpayers’ money simply frittered away. It was revealed through written answers to the Shadow Education Minister that £662,364 had been spent on 943 laptops, a figure that equates to just over £700 per laptop. 

Let's not go giving them any ideas now

When you consider the bulk buying power of the Welsh Assembly Government, £700 per laptop is far too high. Go on to any major electronics retailers’ website and you can find deals for good quality laptop computers for considerably less. If you are placing an order for 1200 laptops over the space of a couple of years, further discounts will be available.

Is it surprising, then, that last year Sir Philip Green reported that central government procurement processes were not fit for purpose? He discovered laptops and desktops cost £61 million a year from 13 different providers, with prices ranging from £2,000 to £353, a difference of 82 per cent.

To make matters worse for the people of Wales, this scheme has been taking place at a time when educational standards and funding within Wales lag behind the rest of the UK. On average, local authorities in England spend £604 per pupil more than in Wales.

The intentions of the Welsh Government have to be questioned and those who have control of public finances need to be held to account. As Sir Philip said last year:

“If you don’t have consistent pricing for products that your staff buy with their own money, how is your business going to be efficient?”

Hopefully this is something that will reverberate its way to Cardiff.

Cardiff taxpayers forced to move home

Jun 9th, 2011
by Lee Canning.
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Cardiff Council, the only council in Wales not subject to budgetary cuts, is failing to provide one of the most basic front-line services that taxpayers expect: refuse collection.

In an article published by Wales Online on 7 June, it has been reported that families living in Cathays are now being forced to move home due to the ‘slum’ conditions that have developed.

Residents that have lived in the area for nearly fifty years are now packing their bags, as the rubbish which plagues the area has become too much to handle. It’s been reported that rodents and birds can be seen feasting upon heaps of decomposing refuse that has been left out on the wrong day or that hasn’t been handled within the weekly collection.

Recently Cardiff Council approved moving to fortnightly collections of waste, which ironically is reported to cost the Cardiff taxpayer more, and could lead to an epidemic of rats rummaging through the city’s black rubbish bags, a situation witnessed elsewhere the UK.

This could easily get worse

Of course there are many initiatives actively promoting environmental strategies – one of which is Keep Wales Tidy, which provides an excellent service throughout Wales but seems to be failing in areas like Cathays.

It also has to be remembered it is the responsibility of residents to ensure that rubbish is placed out on the right day for collection, but the taxpayers of any city should not have to live in squalor or have their council push through policies, such as fortnightly bin collections, that are going to exacerbate problems taxpayers already face.

Accountable Servants

Mar 15th, 2011
by Lee Canning.
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There are many instances of essential travel taken by public servants throughout the UK every day and it has been common practice for these staff to claim back work-associated expenses. But expenses – as seen with the MPs’ expenses scandal – can prove at times to be ridiculous. Here are two particularly shameless examples and an outright abuse of the public purse within the devolved nations.

As reported in the Mail Online, a civil servant, Anthony Snow, who earned £107,000 a year, travelled in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes limousine paid for by taxpayers. The trip that cost taxpayers £464 allowed Mr Snow – who was in a position to sign off his own expenses - the opportunity to travel to a conference entitled ‘More For Less – Meeting The Challenges Of A Changed Environment’. The irony being that the conference was intended to teach those attending how to save public money.

However this is nothing in comparison to what has been reported in the Belfast Telegraph. Sir Hugh Orde, the former Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), received business class flights for his family for nearly six years. Sir Hugh was paid more than £180,000 a year and received various perks, including paid for accommodation, and spent almost £30,000 of taxpayers’ money on flights between Belfast, Dublin and London. This was initially put into place so to encourage his adjustment to the role in Northern Ireland but due to an administrative error continued far beyond the agreed twelve month period.

Mr Snow is an individual who has had a number of questions raised about his intentions, including the pension package that was agreed upon the same week he qualified for early retirement and his move to the ‘Financial Reporting Council’ in 2009. Mr Orde is currently the President of the Association of Chief Police Officers.

These are just two examples of those in receipt of extravagant salaries exploiting the system and leaving taxpayers out of pocket. There are examples of this throughout the town halls and other public institutions nationwide. These two public servants should apologize to taxpayers, and repay money back from extravagant expenses’ claims. Others guilty of similar exploits should be held accountable for their misdemeanors.

Councillors need to be held accountable

Feb 25th, 2011
by Lee Canning.
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On 22 February, the BBC reported that Welsh taxpayers have been slapped by huge council tax increases even though frontline services are being cut. Nearly all but one council (Caerphilly) within Wales have decided to increase their council tax by an average of 3% in April. All this a week after the ridiculous pay packets of chief executives was unveiled.

Some councils in England have seen their funding from central government fall by 25%, but household council tax bills are frozen, partly due to grants Westminster has supplied. Councils throughout Wales have only seen an average funding cut of 1.4% to their budgets which they receive from the Welsh Assembly Government. For Welsh taxpayers, this means service cuts and higher bills, even though the Assembly government could have alleviated some of the pressure by offering grants to councils similar to those given to English councils.

This story could have been so different. What if Cardiff Council saved £1.3m on public liability claims? What if councils throughout Wales saved the £752,000 spent on chauffeur driven cars? What if chief executives weren’t paid extortionate salaries and the army of bureaucrats disbanded? Councillors need to be held accountable and the Welsh Assembly should focus and use the powers it already has to help Welsh taxpayers at this time of economic readjustment.

Northern Ireland’s politicians are living it up at our expense

Feb 9th, 2011
by Lee Canning.
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Members of Northern Ireland’s Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have been travelling throughout the world at the taxpayer’s expense. Some MLAs have taken a number of trips, including a visit to Washington DC from 15-18 March last year, which coincided with St. Patrick’s Day. It would be expected that on such a trip, meetings with those of influence would be organised at every attempt, however this is not true when considering Northern Ireland’s political elite.

After a Freedom of Information request (below), it was discovered that three MLAs,  William Hay, Danny Kennedy, and Naomi Long  (who is now an MP)  travelled to Washington DC at a cost of £10,739.45. They were accompanied by two staff members and travelled in the knowledge this was purely a social networking exercise. Their programme was packed full of social events, including breakfast with senators and they attended receptions held at both the Irish Embassy and the White House. During the trip not one formal meeting took place between politicians and their American counterparts.

All members of this delegation flew Business Class with Continental Airlines at a cost of £7,442.30. Hotels for two nights cost £2,671.15, and even items including loss on currency exchange and souvenirs were claimed for.

This trip was clearly a waste of our money, and cannot be justified. Taxpayers are fed up with politicians behaving in this manner, and at a time of spending restraint, these MLAs should hang their heads in shame.

FoI Response: Expenses

FoI Response: Agenda

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