Lib Dems Welcome County Council's Citizen Advice Bureaux Pledge But Claim It Doesn't Go Far Enough

12.00.00am GMT Fri 27th Mar 2009

Lib Dems want more support for those in debt in Norfolk

The Liberal Democrat Group on the County Council have welcomed news that Norfolk County Council will pledge £125,000 to Citizens Advice Bureaux in the County. Nevertheless the Group, which put forward a motion to the Council on 12th May 2008 calling for increased help for Norfolk's debt-laden families, see the latest action by the Conservative Administration as too little too late in countering the effects of the credit crunch upon local people.

Paul Morse, Leader of the Liberal Democrats at County Hall called the pledge a slow and small step in the right direction, "While I applaud the Council for finally confronting the growing problem of debt advice in Norfolk, I am dismayed that it has taken them so long to do so. I raised this issue to the Council last May and they are only now shifting into action. We don't know how many people we could have helped from spiralling into further debt had the Council pledged this money when the issue was first raised."

The figure of £125,000 pledged to Citizens Advice Bureaux is less than half the figure originally promoted by the Liberal Democrats within their proposed budget at County Hall. Cllr James Joyce, Lib Dem Spokesman for Economic Development, has said that this figure will not go far enough in alleviating the strain being currently placed on the CAB, "It's a start, but given that last year the average Norfolk resident seeking debt advice in Norfolk was £31,000 in debt and was potentially waiting up to 5 weeks for an appointment, I fear that the Conservative Administration will still be coming up well short of tackling this problem across the County."