HAMPSHIRE IS EXCELLENT, BUT NOT COMPLACENT
Reducing congestion on our roads, improving educational attainment, working with young people and an integrated approach to meet the needs of older people are just some of the current priorities the County Council has highlighted, following on from its recent success in being named as one of the top performing councils in England.
The Audit Commission, responsible nationally for ensuring public money is well spent, carried out a Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) whereby inspectors put all major services provided by individual councils under the microscope.
Hampshire earned a place in the top `excellent' category with only 21 others of the most innovative and dynamic councils of the 150 examined. Councils in the `excellent' category will now be given new freedoms from Government red tape in order to get on with the job of providing even better services for their residents. The County Council has now produced an Improvement Plan highlighting the top priorities for the Council in the immediate future.
Commenting, Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Ken Thornber, said: "Hampshire is an excellent council but we are not complacent. We know that there is still much to be done to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The Hampshire Improvement Programme states where we go from here and consolidates a lot of existing work that is already underway. It reflects the views of the public that shape the policies of the services that we provide."
The Hampshire Improvement Programme is based on the council's own assessment of key priorities included in its CPA self-assessment submission and the recommendations made by the Audit Commission's assessment team. These include:
*Improved educational achievement of children at risk of social exclusion
* An integrated approach with NHS, Housing and Voluntary sector to meet the needs of older people
* Reducing congestion and pollution on our roads
* Increasing community engagement and access to public services
* Working with young people
Councillor Thornber added: "Our grant settlement for next year, which is the joint lowest grant settlement for all county councils at 3.7%, flies in the face of our `excellent' CPA that recognised our strong financial control and our commitment to shifting resources to high priority areas.
"3.7% grant will not meet the full extent of teachers' pay awards at 4.2%, or other staff pay awards of 4%. Neither does it meet the Government's requirement for an increase of 5.9% for both Education and Social Services spending nor increasing demand for services. How are we supposed to build on our work as an `excellent' council if Government refuses to fund councils properly and leaves local council tax payers to foot the bill?"
Ends
Vanessa Burton (01962) 847367
9 January 2003
D419 G