The Lib Dem Budget - Young People

Speech by Cllr David Turner delivered to County Council on Tue 12th Feb 2008

Our budget contains really good news for the youth of Oxfordshire:

£450,000 for refurbishing Wallingford Youth Centre which is a very poor state. The Tory budget delays this for another year.

A more comprehensive long term investment programme in youth facilities, including £500,000 for support refurbishment of youth centres not owned by the County Council. To only support County Council owned facilities as in the Tory budget shows a disregard of the rural areas, something for which I would have thought the Tories would have had more empathy if not sympathy. It is not fair that villages who pay for their own facilities are abandoned by this Council.

£200,000 to keep the full current establishment of front-line youth officers and provide bursar support in a county which is way down the list of support for youth compared with other similar counties. Bursar support to release youth workers for more front-line activities instead of administration work.

We have also recognised that the temporary post by the PSA Reward Grant ends in March 2009. We have included £100,000 per year thereafter to continue important work in the diversion scheme to help stop re-offending and are surprised that this is not shown in the Tory budget.

So, Chairman, the Lib Dem budget is one which invests in the youth of our county and recognises that young people are as important as each other wherever they live in Oxfordshire.