I WRITE to congratulate Oxford City Council Labour Group on a positive, ‘good news’ story, buried in their recently approved budget for 2016-17.

Despite punishing rules towards housing costs imposed by central Government, the Labour Group has agreed to continue funding the reductions in council tax for those on low incomes.

This may seem a small matter to those unaffected by austerity budgets, but to those on the lowest incomes in our city it might be the difference between just surviving and going under – being pursued to pay bills they cannot possibly afford, and which would inevitably lead to considerable hardship, including eviction.

Such a contribution towards the prevention of further homelessness is to be strongly commended, as is their agreement to continue paying the Oxford Living Wage and to ask contractors and suppliers to do the same.

PROF ELIZABETH DOWLER
Headington, Oxford