SOUTHWARK SET TO LOSE ANOTHER £250,000 PICKING UP AFTER SMOKERS

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 28th Jun 2007

The smoking ban, which comes into force on July 1st, could cost Southwark Council another quarter of a million pounds, according to Lib Dem Cllr Jeff Hook, Executive Member for Community Safety.

Speaking at Council Assembly last night, Cllr Hook responded to a question from Lib Dem Cllr Anne Yates on the likely costs to the Council of the smoking ban. He told councillors that the Government had pledged to give Southwark a further £266,512 over the next two years for training enforcement and publicity.

However, Cllr Jeff Hook told Assembly that the real costs are likely to be much higher:

"I am very disappointed that no recognition has been made of the additional resources that will need to be found to deal with smoking related litter and the environmental impact of people smoking outside. I believe that we will have to spend around £250,000 a year in addition to the money given to us by the Government."

"This extra quarter of a million pounds will have to be found from somewhere. It is money that could have gone on improving the Camberwell Leisure Centre or providing extra home help for elderly people."

Cllr Anne Yates added:

"This is yet another example of central Government forcing Southwark Council to be divert money from other front line services in order to pick up after the Government."

ENDS