[WiLT] London Councils pledges funding commitment to capital's voluntary sector

[WiL Admin]

London Councils' grants: Making a difference

London Councils has pledged that there will be no cut in its budget
for grant funding for organisations providing pan-London services.

London Councils Executive has agreed to recommend to a meeting of all
of London's borough leaders on 14 November that the grants budget for
2007/08 should remain at £28m.

London Councils chairman councillor Merrick Cockell said: "There has
been concern within the voluntary sector that we are planning to cut a
large chunk of our grants budget for pan-London schemes. However I
want to reassure these groups that there is nothing further from the
truth.

"We fully recognise and appreciate the key role the voluntary sector
plays in providing much-needed services for London's diverse
population. This is why we are recommending that there should be no
change in the levels of funding that we provide to these pan-London
priorities"

The Executive has also recommended a number of areas that should
become future priority areas for commissioning services from the
voluntary sector. These include supporting schemes reducing bullying
and gun crime, increasing affordable childcare, tackling child
poverty, and spreading the legacy of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
games across London.

The committee also recommended supporting projects providing advice
for children and young people in crisis and schemes designed to tackle
homelessness and schemes that provide a route out of prostitution for
men and women

A final decision on the London Councils grants budget and the future
priority funding areas will be at a meeting of London Councils Leaders
' Committee on 14 November.

The members of the Executive and their portfolio areas are:
* Cllr Merrick Cockell (Chairman - Con) - Local Government Finance;
* Cllr Stephen Carr (Deputy Chairman - Con) - Health and Adult
Services;
* Cllr Sean Brennan (Vice Chairman - Lib Dem) - Sustainability;
* Mayor Steve Bullock (Vice Chairman - Lab) - Member without
portfolio;
* Michael Snyder (Vice Chairman -Ind) - Planning and Economic
Development;
* Cllr Daniel Moylan (Con) - Transport and Environment;
* Cllr Jamie Carswell (Lab) - Housing;
* Cllr James Kempton (Lib Dem) - Children and Young People;
* Cllr Chris Roberts (Lab) - Culture, Tourism and the Olympics;
* Cllr Michael White (Con) - Improvement;
* Cllr Ian Clement (Con) - Crime and Public Protection

London Councils grant giving is provided by the London Boroughs Grants
Scheme, which was established under Section 48 of the 1985 Local
Government Act.

The scheme is funded and governed by all 32 London boroughs and the
Corporation of London. The operation of the scheme is managed by
London Councils Grants Committee which comprises 33 representative
members, one from each of London's local councils.

The £28m also includes £1.8m from the European Social Fund

Leaders' Committee consists of the leaders of every London borough.

Section 48(3) of the Local Government Act 1985 requires that at least
two-thirds of the constituent councils in Greater London must approve
the proposed budget. This means that when the Committee decides on an
overall level of expenditure it will recommend it to the London
boroughs and the City of London and at least 22 of them must pass
resolutions in their own councils to ratify. Once 22 constituent
councils have given their approval, the overall level of expenditure
and contributions to it are binding on all the constituent councils.

London Councils was formerly known as the Association of London
Government. Our new name, effective from 1 October 2006, was chosen to
reflect more accurately our membership.

We are committed to fighting for more resources for London and getting
the best possible deal for London's 33 councils. We develop policy,
lobby government and others, and run a range of services designed to
make life better for Londoners.

London Councils (formerly the ALG) Press Release 31/10/2006
http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=18649

See ALG Grants to be Cut by 33% - proposal by new Councillors
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=119

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=176