County Council underspend hampers economic recovery!

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 12th Oct 2009

Liberal Democrats at Hampshire County Council have slammed the Council's Conservative administration for failing to spend allocated money in 2008/9 budget on promoting economic activity in Hampshire.

The Conservative run council failed to spend £126 thousand pounds last year to stimulate the Hampshire out of economic recession and have held the money to this financial year - making the annual budget for 2008/9 last for 2 years.

Councillor Chris Thomas who speaks for the Liberal Democrats on economic matters said:

"This Conservative administration's lack of focus on economic matters is an utter disgrace. During a major recession Hampshire needs new innovative ideas to be brought forward to support our local businesses and create new jobs. Yet despite the dark day of economic recession, tax payers' money allocated precisely for this purpose has simply sat idle and not been spent on supporting Hampshire businesses."

The matter is all the more alarming as Liberal Democrats can reveal that a third of unemployed people here are below the age of 25 with 10% of 16 to 19 yr olds not in education, training or employment.

Hampshire County Council's Liberal Democrat Leader Keith House said:

"The number of young people out of work and not in education or training in Hampshire is rising fast. If we don't take urgent action now there is a real danger that these people will become this Conservative administration's "lost generation"."