MR Clayton is right to call for spending as much as is possible on facilities for young people. Since winning the elections in 2003 we have done just that by:
1. Immediately investing an extra £20,000 in the school holiday programme for 2003 to increase the activities and the number of young people attending. Vandalism was reported to be 17 per cent lower for the 2003 summer holiday period.
2. Immediately setting up a Youth Scrutiny Enquiry.
3. For 2004/5 increasing the school holiday programme budget by £60,000. There are now programmes for every school holiday rather than just the summer holidays. For the summer of 2004 the reported vandalism was down a further 12 per cent.
4. The Youth Scrutiny Enquiry reported last year with a series of recommendations. The Liberal Democrat budget for next year will put an extra £50,000 into putting those recommendations into action.
5. Re-organising the Youth Service into one that will deliver opportunities for young people all the year round instead of being a term time-only service.
6. Working with Nestl to improve our run-down Youth Centres through Nestl's Make Space programme.
All this when York continues to be the lowest spending unitary council per head and has the tenth lowest council tax in the country. A fair deal from the Government would enable us to do even more for young people.
Coun Keith Orrell,
Executive Member for Leisure & Heritage,
Trent Avenue,
York.
Updated: 09:37 Wednesday, February 16, 2005
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