5 July 2010
Most people believe spending on frontline NHS staff and policing should be protected even if this affects other areas, according to a survey commissioned by the Local Government Association.
In the survey, carried out by ComRes and published today, 56% of people said spending on nurses, doctors and other hospital staff should be protected from cuts. Others areas singled out by respondents for protection included: police (35%), schools (29%), fire services (29%), and elderly care (28%).
The top three areas seen as suitable for cuts were: NHS managers (cited by 69% of respondents), quangos (57%) and overseas aid (49%).
When asked to say which services they regarded as frontline, only 1% of the 2,010 respondents said quangos. Police, fire service and hospital staff were regarded as frontline by eight out ten respondents.
The survey also found that a majority of people (62%) would prefer local councillors to make decisions about spending cuts, rather than MPs or quangos.
LGA chair Dame Margaret Eaton said: ‘It is clear that the public want to see important frontline services protected but are willing to rein in the quango state and remove unnecessary tiers of middle management to bring the deficit down.’
‘These figures are a vote of confidence in town halls. People trust their local councillors to make tough decisions about spending in their area more than they trust national politicians. As the democratically elected voice of local people, councils should be at the centre of deciding on spending in their area.’
