19/07/10 - Chris Kelly MP invites local residents to help meet the spending challenge

The Coalition Government has now launched the second phase of the Spending Challenge – appealing to the public for their ideas about how to save money and improve public services.

Chris Kelly MP said: "Tackling the deficit is the most urgent and unavoidable issue facing Britain today. Last year Britain had the largest deficit in peacetime history, and the highest in the G7 and G20. If this rate of borrowing is allowed to continue, it could lead to higher interest rates, tax rises and less money for services such as schools, hospitals and policing. 

"Last month the Government put forward a decisive plan to deal with Labour's debts in the Emergency Budget. As you know this requires significant reductions in departmental spending.

"The Government is committed to carrying out these reductions while protecting the quality of key frontline services. We need to think innovatively about the role of the government in society and reform the public sector to get more for less.

"The public engagement process – the Spending Challenge – is a key aspect of this work. We want the public to understand the choices we face and tell us what they think the Government’s priorities should be."

Join in and submit your ideas by logging onto http://spendingchallenge.hm-treasury.gov.uk