Council pledges to investigate debt issue

2.40.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 2nd Oct 2008

Norwich City Council has backed Lib Dem calls to safeguard the Norwich Citizens Advice Bureau and has agreed to conduct a review of debt advice in the city.

The council agreed that the Lib Dem motion should be referred to the council's executive for further investigation. Representatives from all four parties supported the calls to safeguard the Norwich CAB.

Speaking at Tuesday's council meeting Brian Watkins, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Norwich City Council, said "Our CAB does a great job. It has dedicated staff who do their best to help those in need."

The full motion referred to the council's executive was:

''That Council notes:

the growing economic crisis and the impact it is having on individuals in the city;

the increasing number of people struggling with mortgage repayments and the record levels of personal debt;

the increasing demand for local debt advice demonstrated by Norwich Citizens Advice Bureau, reporting a rise of 36% in debt related cases last year and the fact that local residents may wait up to 5 weeks for an appointment with free, independent debt advisers in the city;

that planned changes in funding for advice services nationally may see the CAB service forced to bid against major national organisations to secure funding from 2011, and potentially stripped of funding.

Council resolves to:

1) write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to:

request that the Government reviews the adequacy of the current provision of free, impartial debt advice services in the City;

seek clarification that any new government 'one stop centres' or Community Legal Advice Centres (CLACs) should not take funding away from the Norwich CAB and any new services should complement the City's existing services.

(2) ask the Scrutiny Committee to work with relevant local public and voluntary sector bodies to undertake a review of current debt advisory service provision in Norwich. 

(3) ask the Executive to review the support that the City Council offers the CAB and similar services and consider whether this support could be extended.'