Council leader Jenny Dawe 'doesn't know cost of bin dispute'

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 08:37

COUNCIL leader Jenny Dawe today admitted that she doesn't know how much the bin dispute is costing the city.

Councillor Dawe said that Mark Turley, director of services for communities, has not shared the cost of dispute with her or any of the other politicians leading the city.

She insisted that she has no concerns about the bill because, if the cost of drafting in private contractors was threatening budgets, directors would be obliged to tell councillors.

Cllr Dawe said: "I have been assured by the director that it can be contained within budgets. I hope we're not in for a surprise but I very much doubt we will be."

When asked if she had been shown the cost of the dispute, she said: "I haven't got the figures and I don't think any of my colleagues have got them – we will get them when we need them – but a director is not able to go over budget. They would have to tell us if it was approaching that level."

She also defended the decision of council officials to not release details of the costs publicly.

Two freedom of information requests by the Evening News have been refused on the basis that the "contractor is not obliged in law to consent" to the information being released.

Administration councillors have also repeatedly refused to answer questions on the costs in full council meetings, saying that a full report on costs will be produced when the dispute is over.

There are fears that the cost of the contractors so far in Edinburgh could be up to 3 million.

Councillor Andrew Burns, leader of the city council's Labour group, said: "I am utterly astounded that the council leader doesn't know the cost and hasn't demanded to know the cost. It would be the first thing I would ask.

"It may be true that the director doesn't have to say if he's not going over budget but the council leader should be demanding the costs. I find it hard to believe that she is not demanding an update on a daily basis.

"There is no doubt in my mind that this dispute is costing millions of pounds."