Imminent cuts to library services in Haringey

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 16, 2013 at 18:06

I think she can cut this... The Internet.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on February 16, 2013 at 18:14

She can cut the Internet? Don't think she's that powerful.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 16, 2013 at 18:50

Poor, poor punctuation. I mean that she can cut this because of the Internet.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on February 16, 2013 at 23:11

Nope still don't get you. What has the Internet got to do with it? These services are to the elderly and/or housebound and the very young. As Helen says those least likely to have the resources to complain.

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Permalink Reply by Helen Riley on February 17, 2013 at 7:58

Thanks for posting this Liz. The briefing document has the date of the council meeting wrong by the way - it's February 27 now.

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Permalink Reply by Liz on February 25, 2013 at 10:54

A reply sent to one of our members 

Thank you for you for taking the time to email the Leader regarding your concerns about the possible withdrawal of the Mobile, Housebound and School Library Service. Your email had been passed to me to respond to as I am the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Libraries.

 

Please note that the service will not be changing in 2013/14. We will use the next financial year to explore alternative ways of providing these services in conjunction with other agencies and/or neighbouring Local Authorities, and will consult with our customers in developing options for future service delivery. I want to reassure you that full consultation will be carried out along with an equality impact assessment before any final decision on the future of the service is taken.

 

This proposal and all other budget proposals will be considered at a Full Council meeting on 25th February 2013. The challenge facing the Council is that in addition to the £62 million savings implemented in 2011/12 and 2012/13, it has to save a further £12.5 million in both 2013/14 and 2014/15, due to the reduction in government funding.  Every service has been asked to identify potential savings. In the Library Service it has been proposed that the subsidy, supporting the cost of the Mobile & Housebound Service and the Schools Library Service, is withdrawn from April 2014. As I have described though, this decision will not be taken without full consultation and consideration of equalities and, if it is taken, is not planned to be implemented until the financial year 2014/15.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Cllr Richard Watson

Cabinet Member for Communities

 

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Permalink Reply by Harringay on February 27, 2013 at 22:15

They will need to do a full equalities impact assessment as these are significant reductions that on the face of it will hit a particular segment of our community and disadvantage them.

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