Stand up and be counted, says LGA chair

12 Sep 02
The chair of the Local Government Association has urged local authorities to make their voices heard in the debate over the future of public services.

13 September 2002

Sir Jeremy Beecham, speaking at the Welsh LGA's annual conference in Llandudno, told delegates they could not afford to 'sit it out' while major changes were being made to the way frontline services were delivered. In particular, he highlighted the need to campaign for the resources needed to guarantee the quality of services.

'Adequate funding is essential for local and national services for which we are responsible and which contribute so significantly to widely shared national objectives,' he said.

Beecham reiterated the LGA's demands for a shift in the balance of central and local funding, arguing for authorities to be given greater powers to raise their own funds.

He also used his conference speech to call for action to tackle the problems with recruiting and retaining local government staff. He urged a 'longer-term and more considered' approach to the problem, the extent of which was illustrated in a recent Audit Commission report.

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