ROBERT Buckland really should pay more attention to detail before deciding to send in another one of his rants. Mr Buckland claims that when our Labour MP Anne Snelgrove asked the Prime Minister about the £400,000 of extra funding that the Government has given to Swindon Borough Council and what this could be used for she was being dishonest.

The funding Anne was referring to was in fact £428,873.52; £234,740 above the average amount of funding given out to councils in the South West. This money is from the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme, which was set up in 2006 to reward councils for successfully promoting economic growth in their areas.

This money had been kept aside as a contingency fund, but the decision was taken to use it now. The council was specifically instructed that they may spend this money as they see fit to help meet local needs and priorities. Surely keeping branch libraries open, maintaining funding to Swindon Dance and keeping Groundwell Park & Ride open are local priorities - just look at the outcry from the community now they are threatened with closure.

How can he say ‘the Conservatives on Swindon Borough Council have consistently delivered improved services”? Where is the improved service in trying to close local libraries? This Tory council are also closing Groundwell Park & Ride, and cutting core funding to Swindon Dance. Swindon’s Labour councillors have provided a fully costed budget that was cleared by the council’s own finance officers that would have saved these services: but that was ignored. The Government gave the council over £400,000 to save the services: but that weas ignored.

Since 1997, Swindon Borough Council has received 50 per cent more funding from this Labour Government. Mr Buckland talks of a future Tory Government but the plans they have for local Government would see funding cut just like it was between 1993-1997 under the last Tory government, please let’s not go back to that.

Anne always raises issues about Swindon in Parliament and I am glad she has brought the cuts the Tory council are delivering to the attention of the Prime Minister.

FAY HOWARD

Risingham Mead

Swindon