Budget Question Time at Liverpool Town Hall

RESIDENTS in Liverpool are being invited to quiz city leaders about how the city council is going to save £50 million next year. 

As part of the council’s budget consultation, a Public Question Time is being held at Liverpool Town Hall on Thursday, 27 October 2011, at 6pm, which will also be broadcast live on the council’s website.

More than 200 local people will get to find out first hand the scale of the challenge for 2012 to 2013 caused by reductions in the grants given to the city council by central government. 

The discussion will be focused around options for next year - and not decisions for the current financial year (2011/12).  There will be a presentation on next year’s budget, including a series of management options that the council will be asked to consider as the budget process unfolds.  This will be followed by the opportunity to ask questions.  Council Leader Joe Anderson said:- “This year we have had to take £91 million out of our budget, which is around 22% of our controllable spending.  It proved to be an extremely difficult and tough process which led to some extremely hard decisions being made.  I don’t think it has yet hit home how hard the cuts are going to affect services because we are only just starting to see the impact.  Next year the pain is going to be even harder because we have already trimmed away the excess fat by slashing waste and cutting senior salaries and the management structure.  We are now getting to the stage where we have to make decisions over which services we want to continue to provide, those that we can’t afford to continue or where we will need to change the standard of service.  Some of the proposals will be unpalatable, but the sheer scale of the savings that we have to find means it is not an issue we can duck.  We are determined to be as open and honest as we can about the process, because it is no exaggeration to say that the decisions we make will affect every single resident in one way or another.  I hope the consultation will lead to a greater understanding of the difficulties we face, and explain to people how we are trying to set a budget which is fair and protects services to the most vulnerable as far as we possibly can.”

The first of a series of joint budget working party discussions involving the ruling Labour administration and the Liberal Party has already been broadcast online, attracting hundreds of hits.

People who wish to attend the Public Question Time must register for a place by calling:- 0151 233 3040 or by email upto Thursday, 20 October 2011.  Seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis and are limited to two per applicant or organisation. 

They will be required to give their name and address and contact details to prove they are a resident or own a business in the city, and the tickets will be posted out to them.  People will also be able to follow the event online.  Admission to the event will not be possible without a ticket. 

Information and further consultation events for stakeholders and elected members will also be held over the next few weeks. 

A further Public Question Time will take place in January 2012 before the council sets its budget for 2012/13 in March 2012.

More information about the budget can be found at:- liverpool.gov.uk/budget.

NORTHERN WINS TOP NATIONAL TRANSPORT AWARD

NORTHERN scooped the top award at last week’s National Transport Awards, winning the accolade of Transport Operator of the Year 2011 in the Rail category.  The judges were full of praise for the way Northern has improved performance and reliability, its approach to working with stakeholders and its success in attracting 38% more passengers since the start of the franchise in 2004.

Professor David Begg, chair of the judging panel, said:- “Northern’s franchise is unrecognisable from the original ‘steady state’, with no growth, no station investment and no rolling stock, it was supposed to be.  Reliability of its fleet has improved by 45%, and Northern provides its passengers with real value for money.”

Ian Bevan, Managing Director of Northern Rail, comments:- “This is the second time we have won this award in the last four years and we are obviously delighted to be recognised for our efforts in this industry.  As the judges commented, we have achieved fantastic business growth despite being awarded a franchise of no investment and this is great recognition of all our employees who work hard to provide the best service possible to our customers.”

The awards were held at the Lancaster London Hotel on Thursday, 6 October 2011.

Liverpool Cathedral invites students to see what’s on offer

FIND out about unique worship experiences, music, discussion and ways to explore the Christian faith.  Liverpool Cathedral is inviting students to an informal open evening from 7.30pm on Wednesday 26 October to see what the Cathedral has to offer them during their time in the city.  Students will be able to find out about the unique worship, discussion and learning opportunities available.  Free pizza will be on offer for all who come along. 

Students can find out about:-

► Alpha, An opportunity to explore the Christian faith and ask questions in a relaxed and friendly setting.  Open to people who have never even thought about exploring Christianity before. 

► Deeper, a fortnightly discipleship teaching, worship and discussion evening. 

► Zone2, Weekly, café-style worship for all ages, running alongside more traditional cathedral worship.

► Breakfast with the Bible and Supper with the Scriptures, weekly in depth, challenging and provocative bible lectures based on cutting edge bible scholarship.

► Traditional Choral Worship with one of the finest choirs and organs anywhere.

All in the 5th largest church building in the world, a great space that can be both awesome and intimate.  Canon Richard White from Liverpool Cathedral said:- "We think the Cathedral is one of the best kept secrets in the city when it comes to students, and we hope that this open evening will make them aware of what we have to offer.  Whether they are looking to explore faith, be part of the Cathedral community or looking for somewhere peaceful to have a quiet coffee and some space to think, we are here for all of that.  We want everyone to feel welcome here, and we also hope that the cathedral becomes one of their favourite places in this amazing city."

If you are a student and want to know more about what the Cathedral has to offer, contact them via email.