March 1, 2001 16:44: OPPOSITION leader Pam Crawford accused county council bosses of ignoring the needs of vulnerable people in Buckinghamshire when members met to discuss the budget.

Cllr Crawford (Lib Dem, Chesham West) claimed there would be £709,000 real cuts in Social services next year as a result of the Tory budget.

Her party had suggested increasing Buckinghamshire County Council's council tax by 5.7 per cent rather than the 5.4 per cent figure of the ruling Tory group.

The Lib Dems argued that the increase only involved a few pence more a week for the average taxpayer but would provide extra money to spend on social services where demand was outstripping supply. But their proposal came to nothing when the council met last Thursday.

Cllr Crawford said: "The poor, frail, needy and vulnerable are paying for the rest of us to have lower council tax rises."

The proposals also gave opposition members the chance to criticise the Tories for going for a council tax rise based on the likely average in the south east, rather than the needs of people in the county.

Another Lib Dem, Michael Brand ( Amersham East) said the cabinet was in disarray. He said: "You haven't had a debate on the level of council tax. All you have decided to do is to spend at 5.4 per cent, because this is what the others are doing. It is not good enough."

But the argument gave the Tories the chance to say that they were being prudent and thinking of the council taxpayer as well as people needing services.

And they criticised the Government for not putting enough into social services in the county.

Deputy council leader Bill Chapple said the the county's social services budget was already 20.6 per cent above Government figures and the spiralling increase had to be stopped.

Cabinet member Mike Appleyard said the Government was making local council taxpayers foot the bill for increased social services spending.

He said: "Let's have some honesty round the place. Social services have been underfunded by this Government. They don't realise social services exist and they hardly ever talk about it."

Council leader David Shakespeare reminded members that when people in Bucks were asked about tax rises, 47 per cent had said they would agree to up to five per cent and 41 per cent would not go that far.

Labour group leader Trevor Fowler (Oakridge and Tinkers Wood) defended the Government, saying it had been very generous.

The budget was presented by Cllr Shakespeare for the seventh time. He said it was based on "steers" agreed by the full council last year, including spending in full on education, allowing social services to spend 20.6 per cent above Government assessments, keeping council tax increase at or below increase by similar councils in the south east, and making two per cent efficiency savings.

By.Margaret Smith