by Alan Watkins

Crisis spending talks were stepped up this afternoon at Medway Council after George Osborne announced a freeze on local authorities' spending plans.

It came days after the local government minister ordered Medway to slash £6.1 million from its approved budget.

Cllr Alan Jarrett (Con), Medway's own chancellor, said: "Detailed work is already under way to identify what the cuts in government funding so far and today's budget mean for Medway. As part of this work we will continue to focus on protecting the most vulnerable in our community and providing high quality frontline services to people in Medway.

"While it is too early to talk in detail about the impact of today's budget on services and jobs in Medway, it is inevitable that the cuts already made in government funding will have a real impact on services for people in Medway this year."

But the Opposition finance spokesman, Cllr Glyn Griffiths (Lab), said: "There is going to be chaotic cutting now."

Chancellor Osborne had warned there would be a 25 per cent cut in spending in all government areas except health and international aid over the next four years.

"Does that means education will no longer be ring-fenced?" asked Cllr Griffiths.

"It will have a huge impact.

"And it is no good Cllr Jarrett saying he doesn't know where the cuts are going to fall in Medway. He should do. He has had enough forewarning from his own government."

Cllr Jarrett said: "As the provider of all local government services in Medway, the council will look to identify services and projects that can be stopped or delayed to help achieve these savings. As ever we will be as fair as possible in our decisions and will try to minimise the impact on the Medway community as a whole in the decisions we make.

"As soon as we are clear about what the cuts in government funding mean we will clearly and fully communicate the impact on people in Medway to residents, council staff and local media."