"Freedom of Information Act used to access the financial information to prepare for next years budget"

12.02.00am GMT Wed 15th Nov 2006

Richard Church - Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Northamptonshire County Council

The Conservative administration on Northamptonshire County Council have been working on next year's budget for some weeks but have refused to release a vital report commissioned from Price Waterhouse Coopers to the Liberal Democrat Opposition.

Richard Church, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on the County Council says;

"The Lib Dems have now asked twice for this information as we need to understand the advice being given to the administration before they spring it on the Public and Councillors at the December meeting. We can not be left in the dark whilst the administration spend months preparing financial proposals for next year. The response from Conservative Cabinet Member Cllr. Bill Parker was 'You will get appropriate information at the appropriate time.'"

Following the second refusal to share the PWC report with Lib Dem Councillors, the Lib Dems have now applied under the Freedom of Information Act for the information.

Cllr. Richard Church says: "There is no reason why this information can not be made available to all councillors and indeed the public. What are they trying to hide, what bad news are they trying to keep to themselves?"

"The Conservative Administration is clearly concerned at the way that we have exposed their failure to manage the budget and are seeking to starve opposition councillors of information."

At the December Cabinet meeting on the 12th December the Conservative administration running the County Council will issue its second annual budget for consultation with the public.

In their second year in office the Tory administration set a 3% increase in council tax claiming that they could balance the books and deliver their budget. The latest report to cabinet presented on Monday 13th November reports a ?12.4M overspend and emergency savings of ?7.4m leaving a ?5.0M overspend to be carried forward to next year.