03/02/2013 Sunday Politics East

Here in the east: The changing face of our councils

as they make millions of pounds of savings again this year.

And the childcare costs that have risen higher here than anywhere

Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2421 seconds

Hello, and a warm welcome to Sunday Politics East, I'm Etholle George.

Coming up later in the programme: We reveal how much more council tax

you're going to have to pay this year as our local authorities shave

millions off their budgets. And changes to childcare, will more

children looked after by fewer staff really make a difference to

I am not knocking it down Number Ten's door because we do not get

Tax Credits. The only way we can get back on our feet is a small

people work. But first, let's meet our guests

for this week. Andy Sawford, the recently elected Labour MP for

Corby and Councillor Kilian Bourke, the leader of the Liberal Democrat

group on Cambridgeshire County Council. Let's start with this

week's 60th anniversary of the Great Flood of 1953. The storm

surge claimed the lives of more than 300 people in this region as

coastal defences were overwhelmed and sea water swept two miles

inland. Since then, there has been millions

of pounds spent on sea defences in this region, but it's still around

a tenth of what Holland, who suffered the same surge, has

prepared for. Is it enough? concern about flood defences in

this country have, especially in constituencies like mine, is that

we have not looked at all the evidence about how we are likely to

experience increased flooding. We cannot always deal with one of

events. We can look at what more can be done to prevent animal

flooding. We cannot legislate for these natural disasters. The is no

way that we can prevent a massive event. You cannot build a Great

Wall of China along the coastline. Progress has been made. Instead of

destroying marshland, we are building marshes on the coast. If

there is flooding, it will be directed into those. I do not think

we cannot prevent disasters. what we can expect in the council

tax bills. Three-quarters of councils in the east have given us

their figures. �338 million is to be shaved off council budgets in

the East with the loss of at least 1230 jobs. 29th of our authorities

of freezing their council tax, taking advantage of the

Government's financial incentive. 8 the forehead teas are increasing

their council tax. -- ate a authorities. -- 8. In December, we

learn that the government was reducing the amount it was giving

to almost every council in the east. Reducing services is a way of

making savings. A growing number of councils in our region are trying

to make up the difference by finding the ways of generating

income. Local councils used to oversee

local planning, or provide towns and election or rubbish is

collected. The streets are kept clear of litter. Today's councils

do much more. This is the right Comp Centre which is part-funded

and owned by the local council. It provides office space for 55 local

businesses. Councils have a wonderful opportunity to regenerate

and bring goodness to the area. We are in a national economic crisis.

�50 million of inward investment is expected to Qamar here this year.

Renting out business units is not any good for the economy, it makes

money for the cancelled so we can keep council tax alone. This is the

latest money-making venture. 45 million new homes are being built.

It is very important. Government grants are being squeezed. Council

taxpayers paid too much tax. We have to raise income to subs detect

-- subsidise the TEC council tax payer. With less public money

available, councils have realised they have got to do the heavy

lifting and find ways of creating income. The council here offers

corporate membership at its leisure centres. But is also making money

from renting out business units, a man via authority to freeze council

tax for a 5th year and not cut frontline services. Half the say

this -- half the savings it has to make will be offset by new income.

It is about growing income. You have to think a measure of. We have

got a programme of growing income wherever we can. That is not by

increasing fears, it is by driving more people or more volume through

the council, treating it as a business. South Norfolk is making

money from the government's new homes bonus. So, too, is Uttlesford

in Essex. The government wants to see more councils generating their

own funding. But critics say it is not as easy as it sounds. It is a

very important feature of local government that we are there to

have a local approach, to meet the needs of our local communities.

They will be different. The ability to generate income will be

different. This council has found ways to generate extra income that

says it will not be an up to avoid cuts the two services. If you were

in a prosperous area, they -- they may not be the need for those

authorities to have any support from government. There may be a

continuing ability to generate even more income. The government wants

to see councils play more of a role in encouraging local growth and

wants them to be less reliant on the animal central grants. Some

have found a way to make this work, others fear they are being left

behind. I am joined by Brandon Lewis. Following on from the issues

raised in the film comedy you accept that some councils will find

it easier and to be more able to generate income than others? We are

already seeing some local authorities moving forward in that

way for a while. The forward- thinking councils take advantage of

what we have done with a local Act to give them more power. They will

get the most benefit and we will see more authority is looking at

best practice around the country are bringing back home. It is about

circumstances. Some councils do not have the space to build houses.

They have more elderly people or more deprived areas. That is the

reason you have to look at it as a whole package. We are moving into a

realm where we want to change the way local government is financed.

It is about what local authorities can do to help themselves. That is

also why we have changed the finance to take into account growth

in business rates. There is a incentive for local authorities

there. A isn't there a danger that you are creating two Tia councils?

All authorities have the same opportunities. Different

authorities will take advantage of the opportunities in different ways.

It is about giving the local councils the power for the people

who know their communities to deliver the best products for their

communities. What about the incentive to freeze council tax? IS

that not a private -- bright? central government do our best to

help the hard-working taxpayers. We are saying to people we have had a

freeze in council tax. We have frozen it for two years. We're

putting in place the opportunity for a freeze for a third year. We

want councils to take advantage and help hard-working taxpayers in our

communities. Andy Sawford, or your council has changed its mind. The

proposed 2% increase has gone and they are going for a tax freeze.

How are services going to be maintained? I have always

understood we were looking at a freeze because we recognise that

times are very tough for people. You have got to put these changes

into wider context. Lots of people are being charged to receive cancel

services. School transport costs more money. Social care services

are charging people. I do not think we should be taken away with the

Tory propaganda that they are helping ordinary people. The

poorest people in our country are suffering most, because of the

council tax benefit reduction, it is them that are going to be paying

the price for the Tory's failure to get the economy getting going and

keeping our services going. Let's talk about Cambridge are having to

make savings of �32 million. It looks set to cat 99 jobs. By you

looking to freeze cancel tax? council has already committed to

increasing council tax. I would say that the offer on the table from

central government is not a bribe, it is a con. The money that is

being offered, the equivalent of a 1% council tax increase this year

would disappear the following year. That is not how finances work. You

have to keep providing services. you want to come back on that?

that last statement, that is wrong. We have made it very clear that it

will not go after a year. It is there for the next few years. There

is a real issue. There are hard working people for we need to help.

The council tax freeze recognises that people are having tough times.

It is very good to be able to say that we are freezing council tax.

We had big rises under the last government and we have given all

the local authorities the chance to freeze it for a third year. Let's

talk about councils to what raising the council tax to a percentage

point just shy of the 2% that requires a referendum. Eric Pickles

this week has described the councils as democracy dodgers and

said they are treating residents with contempt. Do you agree? WHAT

he was referring to was more than that. They are rather a few Labour

authorities in the north shore are using a very technical system of

levies to avoid it and go at about 3.5% in reality and avoid a

referendum. That is simply not acceptable. With a authorities who

are looking at the opportunity to go at 1.95%, these people know that

at 2%, you have to have a referendum. If you are that close

to 2%, you are trying to dodge a referendum. This is a hypocrisy

from central government. They do not have a referendum. They have

cut working tax benefit in my constituency. There is one role for

local councils, cutting them any year after year by huge amounts

with huge consequences for services, but then this little bribe, I agree

with Kilian Bourke, this is a con. What about the general principle?

What about the councils to what are raising council tax just below that

2% level? If central government says you cannot increase council

tax by a 2% or more without a referendum, that means that you

what I'll be allowed to increase council tax by a slightly lower

than that to raise funds. And to start attacking of authorities for

doing that is a complete nonsense. We need to take account of the

particular circumstances of different local authorities.

Cambridgeshire county council, Labour and Conservative

Administration voted for the best project. As a result, we are �70

million out of pocket. That will wipe have -- that will wipe out

half of the council tax increase. That is a great example of public

transport where people are paying more. In my constituency, people

are paying a fortune. This week has seen Norfolk MP and

charter minister Liz Truss announce plans for nurseries and commanders

to be allowed to look after more children as part of Coalition

efforts to cut child care costs. Nursery cost in the east are higher

than the national average. The most striking increase is in shocker

cost four under two euros. -- to read year old. We spoke to someone

facing those costs. Francis Camps has two children under the age of

four and used to work in financial services but had to give up work

because of the cost of childcare. went back to work full time after I

had my first child and put him into a mystery because the cost of one

was not too bad. It has about �45 a day. But when I had my second child,

it was too much at once. I was trying to get two children are

ready in the morning and getting them to nursery. I interviewed a

couple of nannies, considering taking that approach, but the cast

is so much higher. It was never going to happen. -- cost. It was

not worth doing it. We thought we would end up being divorced if we

went down that path. After much discussion, we decided one of us

had to take a step back from full- time work. I am more than happy to

pay for our own children. That is perfectly valid. As a tax payer, I

have contributed a lot to society and some of my taxes would have

gone to other services where people needed help. Now, maybe it is my

turn to have some help. Under the new plans announced by Liz Truss,

in nurseries from September, one adult will be allowed to look after

four babies under one instead of three. All six 2 euros instead of

four. But any of their qualifications meet new standards.

I spoke to her a little earlier. The idea of reducing the ratio of

carers to children has caused consternation to many parents.

the moment, we have a situation where parents are paying the

highest cost in Europe and staff in nurseries are paid six than 60 an

hour on average which is only just above the minimum wage. -- �6.60.

We can get better quality by moving to a system like they have in

countries like France where they give nurses more flexibility but we

also get better paid, highly qualified staff. The outcomes are

beneficial for children. That is the direction I want us to move in.

Nursery say it will not save money. You have said just add that these

people are not by any means highly paid. I think it is important that

we also need to raise quality. At the moment, there is patchy quality.

Some places are very good, others are not. It is not very good in

deprived areas. We need to make it more available for parents. But the

moment, it can be difficult to find a full-time nursery place. Our

plans are about improving the quality and availability. Britain

spent the same as France does on early years care. They have better-

paid staff, higher ratios, higher satisfaction and parents are paying

half the cast. We can do it better. By have spoken to a lot of

nurseries for are keen to take this approach. They are keen to at

school their staff to operate in different ways to look at the way

they do on the Continent. When parents say that, they will be

encouraged. Tu understand that families like the Kemps think it is

their turn to get support. We did announce in the mid-term review

that we want to help working parents with childcare. Along with

this reform to improve the efficiency of our system and

improve the quality, we are looking at helping working families. When

will we know what the government plans to do for tax breaks to help

with a child care costs? We will announce our plans soon. But the

moment, I am making sure we get value for money for the �5 billion

that we spend. Compared to other countries, we are spending as much

money, but we are finding that nursery workers are underpaid for

the important job they do and that families are paying too much. We

must be able to get better value for money. At least this is an

attempt to reduce the problem. You must welcome it. Sometimes, I

wonder. These ministers, you show them announce these policies and

say that everybody supports them. If Liz Truss can show me any

childcare organisation that has not come out about this, I would be

gobsmacked. Everyone thinks it is a bad idea. She cites international

evidence. The most comparable but - - example is Holland where they

changed the ratios and it was a democratisation of child care which

pushed the costs about go at quality. But better qualifications

for people working in the industry must be a good thing. It is

important that people providing childcare have good qualifications.

That is why they think it is absolutely wrong that the county

council and they are cutting the funding that is provided for people

who provide a child-minding to get the qualifications they need. The

other thing is that just the other day others were four local children

centres talking about what they do. That is a great legacy of the last

Labour government that made a great difference to the quality,

availability and affordability of childcare. Can the government

afford to help families? POPE fully. I think the government is doing

something good by looking very seriously at soccer as an issue.

From 20th April 13, there is going to be free childcare. -- child care

as an issue. There will be free childcare available to poor

families. They are redressing the issue of childcare. More widely,

there is the issue of the squeezed middle. If both parents have to

work, especially in affluent areas, like Cambridge, then we have to

provide local accessible and affordable childcare. But it is a

government that you are supporting that is cutting child tax Credits,

Child Benefit. All sorts of ways that we help working families to

pay for shocker and meet the other cost of raising children. -- pay

for child care. We will have to leave it there. Now for our

political round-up of the week. Someone found themselves on the

naughty stuff. -- step. It is unfair that sixth-form

colleges are forced to pay VAT when schools do not have to according to

this MP. Will my Friend agree to investigate whether this can be

corrected so they can be a level playing-field for sixth-form

colleges? RICHARD Bacon complained that many countries are still using

illegal methods of reading cakes and called for a ban on the import

of the meat from parts of Europe. - - and Derwyn Jones. So I'll us do

not think they will benefit from the downgrading of the coastguard

station at Great Yarmouth. It is the anniversary of the

reorganisation of this hospital which was taken over by a private

healthcare company one year ago. It has missed its financial targets by

of the �3 million. John Birt Coe's rabbit did not miss its mark. You

would not behave like that in the courts. Do not behave like that in

this chamber. What you make of the fact that some of the pig industry

in Germany and some of it in Portugal are simply not compliant?

The key point to make is that the legislation has only become

effective this month. The European Commission has already issued finds

in the process -- finds to the countries that are not compliant.

Those who do not comply. Is that why people are opposed to Europe?

ABSOLUTELY right. But there are rules that Britain is following,

other countries should be made to. That is why we need a powerful

government with a powerful Prime Minister who has influence across

Europe. That's all for now. You can keep in