Chloe SmithMP for Norwich North
Chloe SmithChloe Smith has responded to the news that Norfolk County Council is no longer proposing to cut transport for people receiving adult social services or funding for Youth Advisory Boards, following a meeting of the Policy & Resources committee at County Hall yesterday.
Ms Smith, who wrote to Dr Thomson, Managing Director of Norfolk County Council, to outline her concerns has said the change of heart is good not just for her constituents but good for Norfolk as a whole. She said, “I am very pleased to see County Councillors protecting budgets on transport in Adult Social Care and for Youth Advisory Boards, making good use of the social care precept the Chancellor unveiled in his Autumn Statement.
“During the budget consultation I wrote to the County Council’s Managing Director to make her aware of my concerns about these proposals in particular. I am very pleased to see that councillors have proposed these services be protected for the benefit of their service users, carers and the wider public who might have need to call upon the council’s services”.
The news was closely followed by an announcement from the Department for Communities and Local Government that by more than quadrupling the Rural Services Delivery Grant and make funding available to slow the pace of budget reduction, Norfolk County Council will benefit from £4.58m of additional funding next year.
Speaking about the additional funding, Ms Smith said , “The additional funding, particularly the almost five-fold increase in the rural services grant, means the County Council can re-assess its political priorities and look to restore the front line services it was otherwise going to close”.