That this House deplores the criticisms made by the honourable Member for Pendle of a presentation of long-service awards to staff of Pendle Borough Council by the Labour Mayor; congratulates Liberal Democrat-controlled Pendle Borough Council on its enlightened employment policies which include long-service awards for staff who have given 25 years public service and notes that the present policy was recently agreed with the full support of the Labour opposition; notes that similar policies are being pursued by the Labour-controlled councils of Burnley, Rossendale and Blackburn (in Burnley's case at considerably greater expense); recognises that the revenue budget of Pendle Council has been capped at approximately the same level for the past five years and congratulates the Council on its efficient financial management and radical and forward looking restructuring which has allowed it to avoid any cuts in service to this point; approves the actions of this forward-looking authority in already taking early and prudent steps, entirely openly and in the full glare of public debate, to deal with the expected further shortfall of ??800,000 in its revenue budget for 1997-98; and notes that no other council in Lancashire, including those controlled by the Labour Party, hands out ??5 to its over-80s at Christmas and that this unique practice can unfortunately no longer be afforded at a time when essential services are now at risk from Government-enforced cut-backs.

That this House deplores the criticisms made by the honourable Member for Pendle of a presentation of long-service awards to staff of Pendle Borough Council by the Labour Mayor; congratulates Liberal Democrat-controlled Pendle Borough Council on its enlightened employment policies which include long-service awards for staff who have given 25...

That this House unreservedly condemns the decision of the Liberal-controlled Pendle Council to axe the traditional ??5 bonus of 'Mayor's fiver' given to the borough's over eighties at Christmas; notes with regret that Council Leader, Alan Davies, described the gift as an anachronism from the past and that veteran Liberal councillor, Tony Greaves, criticised opponents for lacking the courage to scrap the bonus; notes that Liberal councillor, Tim Haigh, believed it was a matter of having the moral courage to cut the bonus; considers the protestations from Liberal councillors that the cut was necessary to save money do not set well alongside the revelations in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph of 12th June that top council staff enjoyed a multi-thousand pounds knees-up hours before the decision was made to axe the Christmas bonus; finds it astonishing that, in the present climate of belt tightening in Pendle, long serving council employees received up to ??300-a-head in gifts, paid for by Pendle's council taxpayers, and that the council's Chief Executive received a barbecue, painting and a lawnmower and the Development Director received a mountain bike and that other gifts reportedly included camcorders, hi-fis and CD systems, leather chairs and golf clubs; believes expenditure on these gifts to be wholly inappropriate at a time when the borough's pensioners also face the possibility of having their traditional Christmas lunches taken away from them; and calls on the Liberal Council to acknowledge the public's feeling of disquiet and reinstate forthwith the ??5 Christmas bonus which recognises, albeit in a modest way, the contribution made by the over-eighties to the life of the borough today and in years gone by.

That this House unreservedly condemns the decision of the Liberal-controlled Pendle Council to axe the traditional ??5 bonus of 'Mayor's fiver' given to the borough's over eighties at Christmas; notes with regret that Council Leader, Alan Davies, described the gift as an anachronism from the past and that veteran Liberal...

That this House deeply regrets the proposed scrapping by Pendle's Liberal-controlled Council of the traditional ??5 Christmas Bonus - or Mayor's Fiver - given to the area's over eighties; notes that veteran Liberal Councillor Tony Greaves proclaimed that this was a nettle which had to be grasped and there could be no exceptions to their cuts policy; furthermore is appalled that his Liberal colleague, Councillor Tim Haigh, said it was a matter of having the moral courage to scrap the bonus and believes the Council's Labour Mayor, Councillor Frank Clifford, should be congratulated for stoutly defending the annual pay-out; concludes that the Pendle Liberals are the worst kind of Christmas Scrooges, and calls on the Council to abandon plans to scrap the bonus when it meets on 11th June.

That this House deeply regrets the proposed scrapping by Pendle's Liberal-controlled Council of the traditional ??5 Christmas Bonus - or Mayor's Fiver - given to the area's over eighties; notes that veteran Liberal Councillor Tony Greaves proclaimed that this was a nettle which had to be grasped and there could...