Building Schools for the Future debate — the Nottingham Lib Dem Group response
The Lib Dem Group on Nottingham City Council today accused the Labour Group of being over-the-top with its reaction to the suspension of Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programmes across the country.
Cllr Gary Long, Group Leader, said:
Labour are seeking to blame this Government for the previous government’s false promises. That is clear. As Michael Gove said a few days ago, the Coalition Government’s plans have kept capital spending within the envelope outlined by the last Government so there are no reductions beyond those the Treasury had budgeted for.
We are not talking about the end of investment in school buildings, but the end of a programme which is bogged-down in an inefficient and wasteful maze of bureaucracy and regulations.
The Building Schools for the Future programme is the most cumbersome approach you could imagine, and it’s quite right that the Government reviews the way it funds school buildings. As one Labour minister said when he left office: ‘There’s no money left’.
I am fully in support of stopping this way of funding, but I am not in support of stopping funding for school buildings.”
Cllr Long also assured the Council that he would be happy to lobby the Government for funding for Nottingham’s schools if need-be in the future.
Cllr Alex Foster also spoke at the BSF debate. He said:
Labour here have talked about taking possible legal action against the Government over this. That would be a senseless thing to do. We should instead press the Government to continue funding for Nottingham’s schools once a full review of spending has taken place.”
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