THE emergency services across London could be facing tough cuts in their budgets as Boris Johnson gets ready for swingeing cuts in Whitehall grants. Police and fire authorities have been asked to plan for cuts of up to five per cent
THE emergency services across London could be facing tough cuts in their budgets as Boris Johnson gets ready for swingeing cuts in Whitehall grants.
Police and fire authorities and City Hall have been asked to plan for cuts of up to five per cent.
A hint of the scale of the crisis facing London has been set out with Tuesday’s publication of the mayor’s budget guidance’ for 2011-12, which is sure to put him at odds with the new Cameron Government.
The Assembly’s budget chairman John Biggs said: “Meeting these financial challenges will involve a balance between efficiencies, cutting services or raising the GLA’s council tax precept.
“We intend to find out how these difficult decisions could hit services for Londoners.”
His budget committee is to question Deputy Mayor Sir Simon Milton about what the budget guidance will mean for services, at a public meeting on June 17.
The Budget Guidance asks for budgets to be planned on the assumption of cuts of 1.5 per cent, 3 per cent or 5 per cent in Government grants.
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