GOOD BUDGET SETTLEMENT FOR TORBAY WELCOMED

12.46.16pm GMT Thu 4th Dec 2008

The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the good financial settlement that Torbay Council has received from the Government.

The Government's grant for Torbay is £402.16 per person and is £33.60 above the national unitary average. This contrasts sharply with the financial settlement in 2004/05 (when the Liberal Democrats last set the budget) when Torbay received £57.81 less per person than the average Unitary Authority.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders said: "I am pleased that the representations that I have made on behalf of Torbay to the Government are paying off and that the Government is making a fairer settlement to the Council. This will hopefully help them to deliver better services on behalf of local people. Much more hard work needs to be done to iron out the unfairness that still exist (such as funding Disabled Facilities Grants) and I will continue to work hard to make sure that future Government settlements are even better."

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council Steve Darling said, "The Conservative Elected Mayor must be very pleased to have received an improved financial settlement for the second year in a row. His fortune compares starkly to when the Liberal Democrats last ran the Council when the Council received significantly less than other Unitary Councils across the Country. This year the Council has received more than the average Unitary Council - even-after 'damping'. The elected Mayor and his Conservative administration will find setting next year's budget a breeze compared to all previous administrations."