THE Government is being urged to give more cash to county councils. Council leaders - including Cllr Robert Ellis from Herts and Cllr Keith Walters from Cambridgeshire - have written to deputy Prime Minister John Prescott expressing profound disappointme

THE Government is being urged to give more cash to county councils. Council leaders - including Cllr Robert Ellis from Herts and Cllr Keith Walters from Cambridgeshire - have written to deputy Prime Minister John Prescott expressing "profound disappointment" at proposed levels of Government funding. The two county council leaders and those of Bedfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk have told Mr Prescott that there will be serious cuts in services due to lack of cash. And the situation will be worse as the county councils attempt to keep council tax increases to 5 per cent. In the letter, the leaders say that cuts have already been made and widespread efficiency savings have been introduced. Cllr Walters said: "It is nonsense that our Government settlement is significantly below the national average." Like the other leaders he said that more cash was needed to meet Government demands on county councils. Cllr Walters said: "If the Government confirms the current settlements we will be facing the grim reality of asking residents to pay more council tax for a lower level of services." He added that Mr Prescott was being urged to reconsider the settlement so that the county councils can "continue to deliver the range and quality of services that our residents want and deserve.