Cann calls for £5m car allowances to be investigated (Ipswich Liberal Democrats)

Ipswich Liberal Democrats <info@ipswichlibdems.org.uk>

Cann calls for £5m car allowances to be investigated

June 1, 2006 9:18 PM

Andrew Cann 'Our NHS problems in Suffolk will not be solved until the Government changes it's funding formula'.

Cann "Spending £5.2m on car miles is neither green nor efficient."

Andrew Cann, Deputy Leader of the County Lib Dem group has asked for the £5.2m spent on car allowances to be investigated.

He said "The cost of transport should not simply be accepted at a time when every department of the cash-strapped authority had been asked to slash costs and job losses were on the agenda.

A lot of money is spent on mileage at 40p per mile. I know that this is the Whitehall rate, but we need to be looking carefully at where this money is going.

In a year when the County Council we be making dozens of people redundant we must look at saving money in every way we can.

We must also ask if £5.2m of mileage - equivalent to over 2 million miles of car travel is good for the environment or indeed in these days of technology is actually necessary."

The matter will be brought back to the Finance and Resources Scrutiny committee for comment in due course. We shall report back then the outcome.