MORAY MP CALLS FOR COHERENT STRATEGY FROM COUNCIL
Posted on Monday, April 2 2007
Moray Scottish National Party MP Angus Robertson has today [Monday] sent an open letter to The Moray Council seeking an explanation of how their budgetry process can make policy assumptions that have not yet been through consultation or decision making processes. These assumptions include pre-school cuts that will be voted on by Councillors on Wednesday and library service cuts which will be considered by an entirely new administration after the Local Government elections. Mr Robertson has also demanded details of any overall strategic assessment of how the multiple cuts in services will impact on Moray 's communities, some of which have also recently lost banking services and many more could lose their Post Offices under plans from the London Labour government. On the budgetry process Mr Robertson says in the letter:" I am concerned about the transparency and validity of the budget process given that the 2007/2008 budget appears to include savings based on policy decisions that have not yet been taken. These include the pre-school provision consultation and the libraries consultation." Surely this is pre-empting a consultative outcome and the policy views of individual councillors – especially since some decisions are before the election and some will be after. On the wider impact of the cuts for Moray's communities the SNP MP has asked:" The Council must consider the wider impact of proposals on the communities affected and I wish to reiterate the concerns raised that there appears to be no strategic assessment of the combined effect of multiple service cuts being implemented and considered for various Moray communities." In this regard Dufftown is a particularly good example with the potential loss of a library, some pre-school provision, a community centre and toilets. " In other communities banking services have recently been withdrawn and the axe hangs over a substantial number of Post Offices." The Council has a responsibility to give due consideration to all of these issues when considering how best to serve the needs of Moray's communities."
Moray MP to attend Rothes Library Meeting
Posted on Monday, April 2 2007
"Erosion of key community services is an unacceptable proposition" - Angus Robertson MPMoray Scottish National Party MP Angus Robertson will be attending the meeting regarding the future of library provision in Rothes which faces the axe under Moray Council proposals. The threat to Rothes Library is part wider proposals to close several Moray libraries and amalgamate others into schools.Commenting in advance of Monday's meeting the SNP's Angus Robertson said:" While it is reasonable to consult on changes that will improve services to library users the various proposed closures are entirely unacceptable. " Libraries threatened with closure include Rothes, Dufftown, Findochty, Hopeman and Kinloss with serious community concerns about future provision in Burghead and other areas." Moray has one of the best usage rates for library facilities in Scotland and I cannot understand how closures can be remotely justified. " In Rothes the library is open 4 days a week on a part-time basis for some 12 hours in total, but over the years there have been repeated requests for extended opening hours. The computers are well used and the library has relationships with local pre-school groups and care homes for book provision. " It is hard to see how this could easily be maintained by a mobile service, particularly the computer usage." " My SNP colleagues and I are strongly opposed to these and other service cuts threatening the viability of Moray's communities."Ends.
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