Teresa
Pearce, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, commenting on the news that Surrey
County Council is not going to hold a referendum on 15 percent council tax
rise, said:
“The
Government should not be trying to deal with the national social care crisis
through backroom deals with sympathetic Tory council leaders in an attempt to
avoid negative publicity.
“Across
the country, people are facing steep rises in their council tax bills, whilst
the provision and quality of social care is declining. Council tax rises
are nothing more than a short-term sticking plaster for a problem that
needs long-term solutions. And they create a postcode lottery in social care,
because they raise the least money in areas with the greatest
need.
“There is
an unprecedented crisis in social care, with care providers handing contracts
back to councils, 1.2 million elderly people living without the care they need
and delayed discharges causing huge pressure on the NHS. The Government must
come forward with a long-term strategic rethink of social care funding, as
well as urgent funding to stem the crisis which is hurting elderly and
disabled people right now.”
Ends
Follow this news feed: Labour