Tories back down on C.A.B. grant

11.17.51am GMT Mon 9th Feb 2009

Alice Humphreys addresses the protest meeting in Leatherhead

When the Conservative Executive running Mole Valley District Council threatened a series of cuts in its grant to the C.A.B., Mole Valley Liberal Democrats launched a campaign against the cuts, led by Parliamentary candidate Alice Humphreys. We have now heard that the Council withdrawn some of the cuts it had planned.

Alice Humphreys says: "Faced with the pressure of our campaign, the C.A.B's own submissions and all the other voices that spoke out against the plans, the Council Executive has now announced that it is backing down on the threatened cut in grant for 2009/10. While this is welcome, it is not enough to protect the service in the long term. The status of the lease for the Leatherhead C.A.B. office remains uncertain and the 2010-11 grant is still under threat.

"This vital service is more needed than ever at this time of economic difficulty. The Liberal Democrats will maintain the pressure to protect it."