CLAIMS that town halls are killing and injuring people because they spend too much money on local government modernisation instead of road repairs have been rubbished.

Local authority executives in Blackburn have criticised a statement from the Association of Local Authority Risk Manager (ALARM) which says unnecessary risks are taken in order to be seen as falling in line with government proposals to update the way councils work.

ALARM has branded councils who, they say, ignore crucial services such as highway repair and instead spend money on internal reforms from which the public do not directly see any benefit.

John Murray of ALARM said: "If the killing and injury of people continues due to the poor state of highways and byways, if parks and open spaces are not safe, if suitable people are not employed to look after the vulnerable, if fraud is not eradicated, if bullying is not stopped and stress controlled, the outcome will be to diminish, or even destroy, the benefit of reform.

"Risk managers need to ensure that the modernisation programme benefits from their involvement, and that modernisation is what it is intended to be, and does not become a headlong rush over the precipice."

A spokesman for Blackburn with Darwen Council replied to the criticisms saying: "This council, along with most other councils, has in place risk management and emergency planning policies and is currently developing a contingency plan to cater for any possible problems associated with the Millennium Bug. "It has a budget for highway maintenance and for its parks and open spaces as well as policies to protect vulnerable people.

"It has health and safety officers. It has an internal audit section. It employs external independent auditors. It has an occupational health unit for staff and also remains committed to the government's modernising agenda.

"To suggest that local authorities are killing and injuring people is irresponsible and does nothing to improve the image of councils and only serves to highlight the need for modern local government to change people's perception of local government."

The leader of Lancashire County Council, John West, said: "In modernising local government the council is committed to establishing a council which is run in a way which meets the needs of local people and merits their respect by providing best value.

"Our commitment to best value counters the suggestion that we will ignore any pitfalls and we are developing a risk management strategy as part of our modernising agenda.

"I believe Lancashire County Council's commitment to first class, cost effective services is second to none."

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