Oxfordshire County, have made it clear that they intend to take every measure they can to live within their deeply cut budgets, soon to be cut even further, like every authority in the UK. The sharpness of cuts has not yet been felt. Oxfordshire's current contribution to living within their budget is to dispose of the responsibility for the speed cameras in the county.
While local authorities have had the responsibility to service and maintain the speed cameras in their zones, it seems that there has been little or no local benefit from the fines raised. That money has been diverted to Central Government. Swindon, in the county of Wiltshire has already abandoned the maintenance of speed cameras.
Oxfordshire has stated clearly, that their choice is between speed cameras and supporting their children's services and children's safety. There was clearly no competition.
I can hardly believe the reduction in the Exchequer's money grab, (a large one) through fines, was intended. Once the level of reduction in fines income is felt, and clearly the reduction is starting to roll, what then?
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2 comments:
i'd have thought central government could give at least 50% in this income to the relavent local authority where it could surely be put to very good use?
For central government to allow the collected money at an agreed level,(I would say, 75%) to be used locally, would be an act of 'big society' high charity.
Where money is collected compulsorily and voluntarily, e.g. The Lottery, central government cannot keep its fingers off the cache. I am sure there'll be some grab on charitable donations in the near future.
I am not sure who has responsibility for Courts and other enforcement paraphernalia. However, taking all fines into the Exchequer's purse, which does happen, doesn't not reflect what has to be subsidised, (another hidden tax) at the local level.
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