:01:29. > :01:33.In the North-East. How much longer well our councils be able to afford
:01:34. > :01:43.displays of civic pride like Christmas lights and flowerbeds in
:01:44. > :01:44.
:01:44. > :37:54.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 2170 seconds
:37:54. > :37:59.We start with the welcome news that unemployment is down again by
:37:59. > :38:03.11,000 in the North East. It has also fallen in Cumbria. Before we
:38:03. > :38:08.get too carried away, it is still the highest rate in the country and
:38:08. > :38:15.public sector jobs are still going. Tom Blenkinsop, we may have the
:38:16. > :38:23.highest rate in the country, but it is falling fast? It has fallen
:38:23. > :38:33.faster him this region than other regions. But we also have to look
:38:33. > :38:42.at the adjusted rates. There is still a severe problems with the
:38:42. > :38:52.economy, particularly the regional economy. He did not is that the
:38:52. > :38:52.
:38:52. > :39:02.figures for your own concerted -- constituency... Why is it proving
:39:02. > :39:04.
:39:04. > :39:10.difficult, more difficult, to cut it in this region? It is an
:39:10. > :39:18.indicator of the national economy. There are anomalies of the them
:39:18. > :39:22.back the figures. I want to know how we get those statistics. Unpaid
:39:22. > :39:30.work experience is being counted as employment. That is an issue that
:39:30. > :39:39.we need to closely examine with the government. Fiona haul, the
:39:39. > :39:42.headline figure is falling. trend is continuing to go down, it
:39:42. > :39:47.is not a one off will stop it is the largest a drop in youth
:39:47. > :39:54.unemployment since 2001 because at the coalition government policies
:39:54. > :39:58.are tackling this. There is that the youth contract, the Work
:39:58. > :40:03.programme and new jobs being created. We know that a lot of
:40:03. > :40:09.public sectors are still to go. Lots of our councils are planning
:40:09. > :40:14.redundancies. The trend is in the right direction and we have made a
:40:14. > :40:18.good start. We will carry on putting programmes in place to make
:40:18. > :40:24.sure that there are alternative opportunities for people who do
:40:24. > :40:34.lose their jobs in the public sector. It is about creating more
:40:34. > :40:34.
:40:34. > :40:38.jobs. It is difficult for many young people to get into work, so
:40:39. > :40:44.it we have to make sure that those programmes continue. For the moment,
:40:44. > :40:54.thank you. Our top story this week is the rise
:40:54. > :41:04.in rail fares. Passengers are being warned of and above the rate of
:41:04. > :41:35.
:41:35. > :41:40.inflation increased in real fears. We have got reaction to proposed
:41:40. > :41:45.there rises from travellers on Tyneside. Passengers should pay
:41:45. > :41:54.some of the cost. Real fears are fairly steep. They can be difficult
:41:54. > :41:57.to pay for, but it depends on the balance of subsidy versus what the
:41:57. > :42:03.clients pay. I commute four days a week into York and it would affect
:42:03. > :42:07.we pretty badly. I think that there should be something in place an
:42:07. > :42:11.order to keep that from happening. I think it is better for the
:42:11. > :42:20.environment if more people use the trains. I think the users of the
:42:20. > :42:26.service paying more than the general taxpayer makes sense.
:42:26. > :42:31.whole way they have gone with privatisation does not work. Prices
:42:32. > :42:37.have been increasing for so many years. You do not get as good a
:42:37. > :42:46.service as you debt in the past. I think the rail travellers is taxed
:42:46. > :42:52.enough and it should be a burden shared. Let's speak to Craig
:42:52. > :42:56.Johnston of the RMT. He has been lobbying MPs in London this week.
:42:56. > :43:02.Is it not the fairest way to ensure that the biggest contribution to
:43:02. > :43:06.affairs comes from people who use the trains? We need to look at the
:43:06. > :43:11.way the industry is structured and the costs of that. If you look in
:43:11. > :43:18.real terms, the privatised rail industry is getting around three
:43:18. > :43:23.times more than British Rail in real terms in terms of subsidy. The
:43:23. > :43:27.taxpayers lose out. Passengers lose out. We end up with train fares in
:43:27. > :43:33.Cumbria other North East of England that are prohibitive and drive
:43:34. > :43:43.people back into the car. The money has to come from somewhere however?
:43:44. > :43:44.
:43:44. > :43:49.The train operating companies are blaming the government. the
:43:49. > :43:52.industry needs to be denationalised? But that will
:43:52. > :43:56.divert resources away from what we need, which is an improved rail
:43:56. > :44:02.service. You can do away with a rail franchises are they come up
:44:02. > :44:12.for renewal. Let's look at another waste. The debacle around their
:44:12. > :44:13.
:44:13. > :44:17.west-coast mainline has caused millions upon millions of pounds.
:44:17. > :44:22.�100 million thrown down the drain. That is a total waste and that has
:44:22. > :44:29.basically given you an indication of what rail privatisation has been
:44:29. > :44:37.since it started. But passenger numbers are still rising so people
:44:37. > :44:45.are still prepared to do this. People do not have alternatives.
:44:45. > :44:50.They have to use the railway so they are being ripped off. To get
:44:50. > :45:00.into London before 10 o'clock, it will cost you around three had a
:45:00. > :45:04.
:45:04. > :45:10.�30. -- �330. The reality of it is, if you want the railway to work for
:45:10. > :45:19.passengers and communities, they have to be affordable.
:45:19. > :45:24.Privatisation has been a rip-off. The metro dispute, you what
:45:24. > :45:28.cleaners to get three transport? Where is the cost in giving
:45:28. > :45:32.cleaners who work on the metro system a free pass? These are
:45:32. > :45:36.cleaners who on the minimum wage. This dispute was also about wages.
:45:36. > :45:46.At a time when the Labour Party is saying we should be encouraging a
:45:46. > :45:48.
:45:48. > :45:54.living wage, it was said... It has to be paid for, yes, but workers
:45:55. > :45:58.are being treated... There will be more action on this? There will be
:45:58. > :46:02.more action and it will continue until we get a fair and reasonable
:46:02. > :46:09.deal. Nexus should give those cleaners a free pass. It would not
:46:09. > :46:16.cost them a penny. Do you think it is acceptable to go back to the
:46:16. > :46:19.increases that are threatened this year? We would like fares to go up
:46:19. > :46:28.according to the rate of inflation. The Liberal Democrats have said
:46:28. > :46:33.that this week. We have managed to get it down to a rate of inflation
:46:33. > :46:42.plus 1%. What we are managing to do with that money is a massive
:46:42. > :46:47.investment in a electrification. We all know that it actually will
:46:47. > :46:52.create thousands of jobs in the North East in the long run. Ideally,
:46:52. > :46:59.fears it would not be so high, but we are getting value out of it.
:46:59. > :47:05.argument is that it could have been a lot worse. It was inflation plus
:47:06. > :47:10.3%? Taking a ball was just said about electrification of the
:47:10. > :47:14.railway, we have seen already that north of you, there is not
:47:14. > :47:19.electrification happening. For a North East rail travellers,
:47:19. > :47:25.particularly in my area, there is no improvement whatsoever in terms
:47:25. > :47:30.of service. In terms of the fears, do you think that their visors are
:47:30. > :47:38.acceptable and if not, what is the alternative? We have to go back to
:47:38. > :47:42.the table and look at the policy and how fears are cockily to. What
:47:42. > :47:50.is not acceptable is to waste all �100 million on the West Coast Main
:47:50. > :47:55.Line. We have to look at the rail system and looking other
:47:55. > :48:02.nationalised system where there is public ownership as a model.
:48:02. > :48:07.that what you favour? No, but it should be used as the benchmark.
:48:07. > :48:14.This is a living standards issue. Petrol and diesel is going up,
:48:14. > :48:18.energy bills are going up, inflation for the average person is
:48:18. > :48:21.going up it is a crunch issue for the economy. The argument is that
:48:21. > :48:25.that we are going to get nothing for this extra money in the North
:48:25. > :48:35.East? We are getting it because we are getting a lecture vacation
:48:35. > :48:39.elsewhere. -- electrification. no improvement to suburban
:48:39. > :48:44.services? We will keep pushing for that, but you do not get everything
:48:44. > :48:49.straightaway. We are getting something out of this. Do you think
:48:49. > :48:56.the franchise system deserves to continue? It has had problems, but
:48:56. > :49:00.I do not think the answer is nationalisation. I do agree that it
:49:00. > :49:05.is a public advantage that people use the trains. We would like to
:49:05. > :49:09.see real fears rise in with inflation or less than inflation,
:49:09. > :49:18.but that is not where we are in the current economic crisis.
:49:18. > :49:22.Thank you. Christmas lights in our towns and cities apart of their
:49:22. > :49:32.festive season. But for how much longer? Local councils are facing
:49:32. > :49:37.
:49:37. > :49:47.tough budget decisions. In austerity Britain, is there a place
:49:47. > :49:48.
:49:49. > :49:51.for demonstrations of civic pride? Middlesbrough's Albert Park. Neat
:49:51. > :49:54.flowerbeds, attractive sculptures, for 146 years, the very epitome of
:49:55. > :49:59.civic pride. This place was set up all those years ago by the town's
:49:59. > :50:01.first MP Henry Bolckow. The idea was simple. A people's park. A free
:50:01. > :50:04.facility where the townspeople could escape the area's many
:50:04. > :50:11.industries. But today, just like then, grim reality was just around
:50:11. > :50:18.the corner. This week, Middlesbrough Council are looking
:50:18. > :50:21.at budget cuts of �14 million, 200 jobs to go as well. Flowers and
:50:21. > :50:23.parks are all very nice, but in this age of austerity, can we
:50:23. > :50:26.really afford civic pride? Middlesbrough Council does plan to
:50:26. > :50:29.cut �125,000 from budgets which cover parks and flowerbeds. But
:50:29. > :50:35.that will still leave several thousand pounds spent on things
:50:35. > :50:40.that the council does not legally have to provide at all.
:50:40. > :50:43.I think that we have got to listen to what the public say. They like
:50:43. > :50:47.to see a nice pleasant area, a green area and the council to keep
:50:47. > :50:50.it in good condition. The actual cost of providing the flowers in
:50:50. > :50:53.Middlesbrough is �40,000 per year, but in addition to that, we do get
:50:53. > :50:56.in �30,000 sponsorship from businesses. I think we have to try
:50:57. > :51:05.and afford civic pride. But the way we deliver it has to be done
:51:05. > :51:08.differently. 16 miles away, another council are still paying for a
:51:08. > :51:11.service that it does not legally have to. This is Darlington Civic
:51:11. > :51:14.Theatre, a couple of years ago it was threatened with closure. While
:51:14. > :51:18.a nearby council Arts Centre has shut, this place has stayed open.
:51:18. > :51:21.Two years ago, we were spending �450,000 supporting this building.
:51:21. > :51:24.But with some accountancy moves and by driving management costs down,
:51:24. > :51:27.at the moment, this facility cost us around �100,000 a year and we
:51:27. > :51:34.are looking to bring those costs down further. These are not bolt-on
:51:35. > :51:37.extras as far as the people of Darlington are concerned. If you
:51:37. > :51:40.asked them what does their community mean, what is it about
:51:40. > :51:42.Darlington they love, what adds value to lives? I think they would
:51:42. > :51:45.say this theatre. But the optional extras these
:51:45. > :51:49.councils will pay for also include making the local high street look
:51:49. > :51:51.all Christmasy. Turning the centre of Newcastle into a winder
:51:51. > :51:55.wonderland costs the council �140,000 a year. But with �90
:51:55. > :52:00.million of savings to find, the council is looking to cut the cost
:52:00. > :52:05.of Christmas. It will continue to pay for Christmas lights until 2013,
:52:05. > :52:08.but after that, it will be up to commercial sponsors. That means, if
:52:08. > :52:11.you are a company, your name can be up there. The council says even
:52:11. > :52:15.Grey's Monument could carry to temporary sponsorship to pay for
:52:15. > :52:19.Christmas lights. Private firms already pay �50,000 a year towards
:52:19. > :52:24.additional decoration in Newcastle. At a time of austerity, should we
:52:24. > :52:30.expect our councils to shell out for fairy lights? I think that the
:52:30. > :52:34.council owes it to the people. They get plenty of money. I am sure
:52:34. > :52:38.there's other areas they could take it from. It is a bit disappointing,
:52:38. > :52:42.isn't it? In your view, it is the job of the council to pay for the
:52:42. > :52:45.Christmas lights? Yes. They look after the city. If the alternative
:52:45. > :52:50.is having everything sponsored by people, then yes. The council
:52:50. > :52:52.should keep paying for it? I would like them to, yes. But the Labour
:52:52. > :52:55.council's Christmas cuts have had backing from some of their fiercest
:52:55. > :52:58.critics. The Lib Dems say they have made the right choices.
:52:58. > :53:01.constituents talk to me about their concerns about library closures and
:53:01. > :53:04.respite care centres. I know it is important to keep the Christmas
:53:04. > :53:06.shoppers coming into town, but on this particular occasion, we could
:53:06. > :53:13.be making savings in this particular area rather than the
:53:13. > :53:15.money I would like to see put into my local library certainly. Whether
:53:16. > :53:19.it is sparkling lights or pretty flowerbeds, for years, our councils
:53:19. > :53:29.have paid for stuff that makes us feel better about where we live,
:53:29. > :53:31.
:53:31. > :53:33.but for how much longer? Tom Blenkinsop, can you justify
:53:33. > :53:42.spending on Christmas lights when you were having to cause libraries
:53:42. > :53:49.and plate -- closed libraries and care homes? I can understand the
:53:49. > :53:54.logic... The what about parks? Parks are a far more permanent
:53:54. > :53:58.feature than Christmas lights. In my constituency, they have always
:53:58. > :54:04.clubbed together and got local businesses involved to pay for the
:54:04. > :54:09.Christmas lights. It depends on the local set up and the locality. But
:54:09. > :54:15.I think Newcastle has had the right priorities in terms of local public
:54:15. > :54:23.services for people. Why should we expect councils to pay for these
:54:23. > :54:27.things? In the past, generous benefactors and local this as
:54:27. > :54:31.people had put her hands in their pocket. Looking at corporate
:54:31. > :54:41.sponsorship is a sensible move. But it is always about public and
:54:41. > :54:48.private partnerships. You will always have some public input in
:54:48. > :54:55.terms of the infrastructure. But between Christmas lights and saving
:54:55. > :55:01.a library, I would prioritise the library. The Government has made no
:55:01. > :55:08.allowance for this. Christmas lights can be a economically
:55:08. > :55:14.important to many towns. This is about quality of life. There is a
:55:15. > :55:19.role for traders, even in small communities. In fact, in local
:55:19. > :55:29.communities, in small communities, it is the community that have done
:55:29. > :55:31.
:55:31. > :55:35.it. I think it is reasonable to get sponsorship to do the Christmas
:55:35. > :55:41.lights. I do think with parks and gardens, there is a different thing
:55:41. > :55:45.to bear in mind in that everybody benefits from a public space. If
:55:45. > :55:51.you allow a public space to become neglected, it is an invitation to
:55:51. > :55:56.vandalism. But the choices are harsh. It could be a choice between
:55:56. > :56:00.maintaining a park and closing a care home. Some councils have
:56:00. > :56:06.managed not to close the libraries. There are difficult choices to make
:56:06. > :56:10.and I think that the councils do what they can. Darlington Council
:56:10. > :56:17.decided to keep his theatre for economic reasons as much as
:56:17. > :56:21.anything else. But when it comes to public art, can you justify it?
:56:21. > :56:29.That was seen as a public investment, to try to attract
:56:29. > :56:35.visitors to the area. They are decisions made by the local
:56:35. > :56:39.authority to try to do that. will they be able to do that in the
:56:39. > :56:45.future? It is very hard for local authorities to balance those
:56:45. > :56:52.budgets. They are not dictating the budgets. In many areas, local
:56:52. > :56:56.authorities are simply the messengers. But different councils
:56:56. > :57:03.approaching it in different ways? That is for the electorate to
:57:03. > :57:13.decide. They will decide which party runs are the local authority.
:57:13. > :57:14.
:57:14. > :57:22.We are facing such hairy cuts, -- such a heavy cuts... Public
:57:22. > :57:29.services will be hit even harder. There is a risk that something like
:57:29. > :57:34.the Angel of the North would not happen now. It got an Arts Council
:57:34. > :57:40.grant. It was not done that project manager for the council.
:57:40. > :57:47.council was a driver? It supported it. But they supported it because
:57:47. > :57:54.it was not public money going in. The cuts are there because the
:57:54. > :58:01.economy was in a mess. There are other things. The Baltic, the Sage,
:58:01. > :58:05.the Millennium Bridge might never have happened. Councils have to
:58:06. > :58:11.decide and they have difficult decisions. Some things you do, the
:58:11. > :58:15.ad revenue and bring visitors in and that is important. Thank you
:58:15. > :58:20.very much. The pressure on budgets and mean that many people are
:58:20. > :58:23.trying to raise extra of money. They are doing it in a variety of
:58:23. > :58:30.ways. Inside out has been investigating some of the ways they
:58:30. > :58:39.are trying to bridge that funding gap and you can see that tomorrow.
:58:39. > :58:42.It is our final programme before Christmas. You repay we could use
:58:42. > :58:52.some best of music on our 60 seconds this week. But
:58:52. > :59:01.
:59:01. > :59:10.unfortunately, we are not allowed The population of the North East
:59:11. > :59:20.has grown by 2%. That is since 2001. 400 civil service jobs should stay
:59:21. > :59:22.
:59:22. > :59:28.in Darlington. This is a critical decision for our time. Business
:59:28. > :59:36.continuity, retention of skills and the local economy, I trust that the
:59:36. > :59:43.department will decide to keep these jobs in Middlesborough.
:59:43. > :59:53.new MP, and debate Donald, -- and the McDonald made a speech about
:59:53. > :00:02.