Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Million missing in action?

Mr. McNulty: The annual cost to the Home Office of maintaining the national 101 telephony infrastructure will be £950,000. This funding will ensure that the 101 number continues to be available for all local areas. This funding will ensure that the 101 number continues to be available for all local areas to use to maintain or develop their own locally funded 101 service" - April 1st 2008 Hansard
"A non-emergency phone line planned as an alternative to 999 has been rescued by a group of councils after funding was halted by the Home Office." - March 31st 2008 BBC News
Call me cynical if you must, but if funding was "halted" and Councils have had to club together and intervene; where is the near million quid going? Maybe Tony was just joking given the date?

3 comments:

John M Ward said...

There are plenty of examples of Government-imposed spending commitments that they have failed to funs, adding to Council Tax burdens -- in effect a "stealth tax".

Recently we have had the free 'bus passes, which were supposed (and claimed by the Government) to be funded from the centre, as it was the centre that imposed this, but in practice they are being subsidised by councils. My own council is spending something over a million pounds a year to cover the cost of these.

A lesson I learned several years ago, and have found no reason to abandon, is that this Government is interested only in self-congratulatory headlines. Many initiatives that were launched from Westminster soon had their funding reduced or stopped altogether, once there were no more headlines to be gained.

I know: I was on the receiving end of the burdens until just last week. The outlook is more of the same, so I am pleased I am now out of it!

Anonymous said...

Aren't 101 and 999 (for Police) being done away with when people can just ring up a moblie number for their wonderful local policeperson?

Anonymous said...

John M Ward said...
"I know: I was on the receiving end of the burdens until just last week. The outlook is more of the same, so I am pleased I am now out of it!"

We also are pleased that you are out of it.