Log in

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Question: How will spending cuts effect us?

Asked by chloe to Alastair, Elaine, Sandra, Ted on 30 Sep 2010 in Categories: .

0 Comment on this question

  • Photo: Elaine MurrayElaine Murray answered on 29 Sep 2010:

    That will depend on what the council and government do to reduce spending. The UK Government is due to announce its intentions on 20th October, after that the Scottish Government will have to decide how its going to divide up its budget and councils will know how much they will have and will have to decide what they are going to cut. Sorry I can’t be more definitive just now.

    0

  • Photo: Sandra McDowallSandra McDowall answered on 29 Sep 2010:

    Becuase of the sheer size of the cuts, I think everyone will be affected in some way. Every service the Council delivers is being examined at the moment to see if there is another way of delivering it and in some cases what the effect will be if the service was stopped. I can’t give any specifics as no decisions have been taken yet but it won’t be easy saving £21m.

    0

  • Photo: Alastair WittsAlastair Witts answered on 30 Sep 2010:

    They will affect all of us, and we as councillors have to make some very difficult decisions. What we think is fairest (or least unfair) is that we make cuts in all the services that the council provides, so that everyone sees some cuts, but no one service takes all the cuts. For example, if we closed all the schools and sacked all the teachers we wouldn’t need to make cuts anywhere else, but I don’t think that would be a very good idea (though some pupils might). Anyway, it would be illegal as we have to provide education to students. So instead we can make cuts ‘across the board’- give class teachers less free time to do paperwork, not employ so many office staff in the police force, reduce the number of hours DG1 is open, etc. It’s a very big question you ask Chloe and the answer will depend on who you are, but almost everyone will be affected (unless you live in a cave in the Galloway Hills, eat berries and rabbits and make your own clothes from animal skins!)

    0

Comments