Victims of Victim Support

Before the terms ‘localism’ or ‘Big Society’ existed, Victim Support Cornwall (VSC), as a member of a nation-wide federation of similar charities, got on quietly and successfully with providing emotional and practical support to victims of crime.  It also supported those who faced the stress of having to appear as witnesses in court, arranged services such as anti-bullying programmes for schools and supported women leaving abusive relationships.

The federation of local charities looked to a national body to provide those services, such as computer systems, where genuine economies of scale exist.

A few years ago the national organisation, holding the purse strings of funding from central government decided, contrary to the evidence of the success of VSC, to seek agreement to merge all locally based charities into a single nationwide charity.  VSC fought a campaign to retain the existing locally run charity.  We believed that the harnessing of local knowledge and accountability, with locally raised donations to augment the national funding, alongside nationally agreed service standards would promote consistency of quality service for victims from Penzance to Carlisle.  Unfortunately the campaign was unsuccessful.

One of our main concerns was that the national charity, with heavy fixed costs, was at risk of financial overstretch.  VSC’s trustees were unpaid whereas in the national organisation the Chief Executive is paid between £100,000 and £110,000, with the five most senior managers salaries totalling some £425,000.

I, as the last chairman of VSC before its dissolution, have now learnt that due to reductions in government funding all initial telephone contact with Cornwall’s victims will be relocated from Pool (an office opened by the Princess Royal in October 2007) to Bristol which will result in a loss of Cornish jobs.  An administratively costly national organisation does not possess the operational flexibility inherent in a locally run charity.

Fortunately the local volunteers who, throughout Cornwall, provide a critical element of the service, including face-to-face discussions with victims, remain unaffected by these changes.

I know that the local employees, who despite facing a great deal of personal uncertainty, will continue to provide an excellent service to victims for as long as they remain employed.  My sadness is that they have been put in this position by the desire of a national charity to discard a business model which worked well.

Children's Poverty and Deprivation

It never ceases to amaze me as to the generosity and sheer commitment of various volunteers in Cornwall.  Whilst I admire anyone who volunteers for anything I reserve special thanks to those who engage with issues, about human misery, which it is all to easy to avoid as being someone else's problem.

Today I listened to presentations from, and discussed with,  a number of individuals who provide emergency support to those who through no fault of their own find themselves without money, often standing up in the only clothes in their possession, sometimes with children in the same dreadful state.   Councillor Andrew Wallis has blogged earlier today providing the background on food banks: http://cllrandrewwallis.blogspot.com/2011/02/child-poverty-panel-and-food-banks.html

My issue is that sadness and misery of this magnitude which exists not in some far off third world country but here in Cornwall should receive far far more attention than it does.  It appears unbelievable that some children are, today, going hungry in the Duchy.  Clearly in any civilised society it is morally indefensible to allow such distress to exist.  However to tackle it requires courage, willingness and commitment to stop individuals falling through safety nets and providing them with the skills, knowledge and support to improve themselves.  The first step has to be to recognise that whilst each individual's circumstances are unique they fall under the general headings of domestic violence, illness and lack of employment.

There are considerable efforts, both locally and nationally, to understand and address the issues.  However the numbers of individuals at risk have not declined and that implies that something rather more effective has to be designed and implemented, to harness the voluntary, public and private sectors in working together.  This has to be the objective of those councillors who are currently considering children's poverty and deprivation. 

Knowing what I now know I will certainly be unable to walk past the food bank in ASDA, Penryn without making a donation.

Council Budget

My view that full Council meetings are the least successful, and most diverse, in the schedule of formal meetings was reinforced today by the apparent 'grand standing' of certain councillors.

There was a budget proposal from the Cabinet on offer today with plenty of opponents prepared to say why it was wrong without putting forward alternative budgets.  That is particularly surprising and disappointing given that those opponents have had over two months to develop their proposals since the emergency budget was considered, and agreed to, by full Council at its 3 December2010 meeting.

It is quite appropriate to argue, as some councillors did,  that certain items in the budget are unacceptable.  However to not identify where the savings will otherwise be made seems to be based on the presumption that 'you can have your cake and eat it'.  It seems to me that not to identify where you will make savings, to fund what you argue requires additional funding, shows a lack of developed thinking.

Given the very considerable efforts that has gone into preparing the proposed budget, including taking some 90% of the savings as internal savings with all the risks attached to the transformational programme that that requires, does demonstrate a very real commitment to minimising the effects of budget cuts on the services delivered to Cornwall's residents.

Had alternative budget proposals been on the table then they would have formed the basis for a rather more constructive and informed debate than the spectacle that occurred today.  I, for you, would have given those alternatives due consideration - I speak as someone who did not support the council tax increase approved by Council for 2010/11.

Kernick Roundabout: Pedestrian crossing

The installation of a pedestrian crossing at the Kernick roundabout (the one near Penryn's ASDA) on the A39 took a major step forward last week when at Mabe Parish Council’s meeting on Thursday 10 February they approved a proposed crossing designed by Cornwall Council’s Highways Department.  The crossing includes pedestrian activated lights to stop the traffic and is similar to other such crossings on major roads in the Duchy.

Kernick roundabout is operating at near maximum traffic volume capacity so the pedestrian crossing is intended to form phase 1 of a programme which, in phase 2 at a later date, will see traffic flows through the junction controlled by traffic lights. 

The cost of the pedestrian crossing works is estimated at £362,000, excluding a topographical survey and design fees.  There is expectation that some £330,000 of the total cost will be sourced from Cornwall’s local transport plan funds leaving the Parish Council to find some £70,000.  Parish Councils are able to seek such funds from contributions arising from planning conditions on proposed building developments.

Having worked closely with the Parish Council and Cornwall Council in seeking a safer A39 crossing, I'm delighted that the installation of a pedestrian crossing will encourage more local residents to walk for short journeys.

The Parish Council will seek written letters of support for the pedestrian crossing proposal from interested local residents and organisations, including Mabe Junior School and Penryn College each of whom have students whose walk to school route crosses the A39.

Whilst the timetable for completion of the crossing has yet to be finalised, and will be primarily determined by the completion of funding, there are grounds to believe that two years may be achievable.

Saving Money

The experience of Greece and Ireland, and, potentially Portugal and Spain seems not to have reached those who argue for reduction or removal of the Government's spending cuts.

For the record; Greece and Ireland have all but destroyed their economies and, aside from national default, have no choice other than to bear many years of financial hardship before they restore strength to their national economies.  Without great care, Portugal and Spain will suffer the same pain.  They each have high unemployment rates, particularly amongst the younger sectors of their populations.

The UK has no choice; either financial pain now or something far fat worse in the medium term.

On being Conservative

Well, in fairly quick order, we seemed to be a country full of citizens who believe that the Coalition Government's financial cuts are too harsh, or even unnecessary, and that we should, as a nation, continue to spend more than we earn.  So, let me state the facts as I see them and invite a torrent of alternative views.

For the last 10 or more years we in the UK have had the (false) luxury of exporting our inflation to, mostly, China, India and South East Asia.  The days of reckoning have now arrived as those territories seek to progressively move towards enjoying our standards of living.  We have inflated our property prices (see Ireland and Spain as examples) and have, in global terms, paid ourselves too much.  It has been easy to blame the bankers, who do deserve part of the blame, although the full blame attaches to any of us who have lived beyond our means or not done enough to protect those less able than ourselves.

The World does not owe the UK a living.  To pretend otherwise is an insult to all those countries whose GDP per person is below the UK's.

We have, in recent years, been a net borrower whilst countries such as China have financed our excess standards of living, by being net lenders.  Payback time has now arrived.

We face two simple choices.  We can follow the Greek, Irish or Iberian Peninsula models whereby we accept lack of international competitive status, an inability to reduce our debts and an eventual sovereign debt crisis.  Alternatively we can 'bite the bullet' and reduce our debts and, most  importantly, stop wasting so much money on interest payments.  Money which would be much better spent on improving public services.

There are different approaches to debt reduction.  The USA has chosen to engage in Keynesian financial simulation; the UK has embarked on a monetary policy.  Only time will tell which approach yields the best results.

The cuts are, and will be, painful.  The primary duty of national and local government, beyond ensuring the security of the State, is to protect the more vulnerable members of our society.  This does not reduce or remove the very difficult choices that have to be made.

As a conservative I believe, based on all the evidence I can access, that the Coalition Government has chosen the least risky path in restoring the UK's financial soundness.  I am surprised when the Chancellor talks about the absence of 'Plan B'.  Whilst an alternative course of action may be more risky I do recognise that as the financial and economic environment changes that there will be necessary touches to the tiller to keep the ship on course.

Youth Parliament

Yesterday's Youth Parliament elections in County Hall was, as you would expect, a positive event showcasing what is good about Cornwall's young people.  The election results are available at: http://www.cornwallyouthforum.org.uk/Cornwall_Youth_Forum/Welcome.html

For anyone who regards this as simply a 'box ticking' activity whereby lip service is paid to young people you could not be further from the truth as the 'voice of the child' is a key priority in Cornwall's Children & Young Persons Plan: http://www.cornwallcypp.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=2   Considerable effort is given to ensuring that the voice of every child is heard including through school councils, youth forum and the children in care council.  Children represent approaching 25% of Cornwall's population and as many of the decisions taken by adults have direct influence on children, e.g. academies and health services reorganisations, it is only right that they have their opportunity to consider and decide their responses and then seek to influence the decision-makers.

2011 is the first year in which young people will have opportunities to present to the Chief Executive and Directors of Cornwall Council as a regular agenda item on their meetings.

Slightly disappointing that just four councillors attended the elections: Neil Burden, who delivered a speech and rather than keeping it bland included STDs in his discussion, Pat Harvey - proving yet again the great support she gives as Cornwall Council chairman, Pat Rogerson and myself.

A number of agencies were on hand including representatives from the Children's Trust and the Devon & Cornwall Police Authority.  Equally importantly there were three Cornish MPs in attendance: Sarah Newton, Sheryll Murray and George Eustice.  I saw no sign of the Duchy's Liberal Democrat MPs.

If you like to see the Youth Parliament in action, with one of the debates led by a Cornish representative, follow this link: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_192005