West Berkshire Mencap Transport Budget Reinstated

11.45.40am GMT Wed 27th Feb 2008

In a recent development on the council budget, Children & Young People Shadow Spokesman Alan Macro has welcomed the reinstatement of the funding for transport from school to West Berkshire Mencap's After School service for disabled children:

"Proposing to remove this valuable funding would have meant many parents having to give up jobs to care for their child - some children would have been forced into full time care at a much higher cost. It was a mean cut and I am pleased to see that the Tories have seen sense and reinstated the funding."

"Had the Tories not seen sense and put the funding back, this would naturally have been a high priority in the Liberal Democrat budget proposals", Councillor Macro continued. "Thankfully this is not necessary now but I would like to see a move away from petty mean cuts - last year it was children's playgroups who suffered, this year it would have been disabled children looked after by West Berkshire Mencap. I would like to see an end to these ill-thought-out cuts that have major effects on the less fortunate in society."