County to cut backhome care

Some county councillors expressed serious concerns at a meeting of the county's policy and resources select committee about the implications for home care.

But two cabinet members insisted that front-line services would not be damaged '“ and that they would, in fact, benefit from the exercise.

Cllr Steve Waight, cabinet member for finance and resources, said the county council's budget would show where the latest savings would be re-invested.

'What we are doing is providing efficiency savings which can be re-invested in front-line services,' he declared.

The county council is now in the second phase of a '˜fundamental service review' (FSR) aimed at saving 30m over the financial years 2007-8 and 2008-9. Some 15m has already been banked for the first year.

Around 300 jobs are expected to disappear, and although the council is aiming to avoid compulsory redundancies these have never been ruled out.

The select committee was told that areas under consideration in the second phase included a reduction in the council's holdings of land and buildings; cutbacks in temporary posts; new charges affecting schools and adult education; and the fire service.