EVERY child in Kirklees could be offered free swimming lessons.

That was one of the ideas put forward today by Labour councillors in advance of the council budget debate next week.

But the Labour group has also proposed a council tax rise of 5% - the same as the Liberal Democrat-led Cabinet - and a total budget of £450m.

The group also wants to slash home care charges and set up a task force to tackle poor services.

Today Kirklees Labour Party reveals its vision for local services for the next 12 months, with a strong set of proposals to meet people's priorities.

Clr Mehboob Khan, leader of Kirklees's Labour group, said: "Our proposals concentrate on moving cash from red tape to invest in popular areas and giving real power to local people in tackling poor services.

"We would have preferred a lower council tax rise, but this has not possible due to the Liberal Democrat incompetence that has caused the deepest financial crisis in the council's 32-year history.

"Labour plans to provide free swimming for children in full time education during the summer holidays.

"This will provide a popular sports activity and be popular with parents as it will keep young people healthy and occupied.

"Local people have told us they are outraged at the 50% rise in home care charges imposed by the cabinet at the end of last year.

"These massive increases are causing considerable misery. Some older people are paying £75 extra per week in charges. We will reduce these charges to the previous level of £5 per hour.

"We will also introduce a fairer home care charging system."

Labour plans to reverse a Liberal Democrat scheme to end school clothes vouchers for 8,000 pupils.

Clr Khan said: "Many local people are fed up with receiving bad council services and being ignored.

"We will give new powers to residents to trigger action to tackle failing public services.

"Only under Labour will local people be able to force the council to improve poor services in their area.

"Our initiative will give residents a strong voice, influence and real power to hold the council to account and demand better services.

"Residents will be able to instigate a `task force' consisting of senior managers, councillors and local people to sort out poor-quality of services.

"This scheme will be the first of its kind in the country."

Other proposals include:

* Spending £4.5m over the next three years to improve roads.

* No cuts in school crossing patrols

* More litter-picking, sweeping and removing fly-tipping, to make streets safer and cleaner.