text: Barbara asks Government to "come clean" on cuts to services in Salford - Barbara Keeley MP
  Barbara asks Government to "come clean" on cuts to services in Salford
  Barbara has called on the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Government to come clean about £2.1 million of cuts they plan to local services for children and young people in Salford.
  In response to a letter from Ed Balls, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Children and Education, the coalition government has admitted that £311 million grants to local authorities will be cut this year by the Department for Education. The grants pay for local education and children's services. This is equivalent to a 24% cut across the board on projects funded by the grants meaning that £2.1 million of the cuts will be imposed on Salford City Council.
  "The Tories and Liberal Democrats said there would be no cuts to frontline services, but already that promise has been broken. The first candidate for cuts has been services for children and young people in areas like ours.
  "A 24% cut to Salford's grant will mean a £16,000 cut to the school transport budget, a £295,000 cut for youth activities and local youth clubs, a £35,000 cut to programmes to prevent teenage pregnancy, a £618,000 cut to services to help school-leavers find work, and a £513,000 cut to the grant to develop local schools.
  "As a member of the Shadow Health Team I am also concerned about the £202,000 cut to programmes in Salford which give housing support to older people with support needs and people with mental health issues.
  "The public understands the need to reduce the deficit – but they want it done fairly, and openly and without risking the economic recovery. What the Tories and Liberal Democrats are doing is not fair and it will risk damaging the recovery. I am very concerned about the impact these cuts will have on families in Salford."