JOHN Power is rightly cynical about the county council’s statements on proposed cuts (October 29). But I think he is being a bit simplistic.
This is not the first five per cent cut after years of increased or static budgets but another five per cent cut after years of cuts.
A five per cent cut each year, compounded over 13 years, leaves you with about half the budget you started with.
There may have been scope for real ‘efficiency savings’ some years ago but both councils and hospitals are now facing real cuts and I am pleased to see that they are now more widely reported as such. The belief that there are still real efficiency savings to be made has long since been a myth.
The budget for a large county like Oxfordshire may be over £1bn per year, but £61m is still a lot of money and real cuts in services will have to be made if central government insists on cutting council grants.
LEN PORTER
London Road
Headington
Oxford
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