RESIDENTS are being “bribed” to take part in focus groups, a councillor has claimed.
Clr Vivien Lees-Hamilton is concerned that £25 vouchers are being handed out as a reward to people taking part in discussion groups.
The Mirfield Conservative said: “I was appalled to hear that Kirklees Council is actually paying people to attend such meetings – this is nothing more than a bribe.
“It is money for old rope and a scandal to be using council taxpayers’ money in this way when there is a recession on and council employees are in fear of losing their jobs.”
Kirklees Council has given £14,000 to a private company to carry out the study into what people think of the areas in which they live. Some £2,000 is being spent on high street vouchers to reward people who take part in the 90-minute meetings.
There will be eight focus group meetings – three in Dewsbury and one each in Greenhead, Newsome, Mirfield, Heckmondwike and Batley. Each meeting will have 10 participants.
Clr Lees-Hamilton said: “Even allowing for room hire for these forums there will be a handsome profit for the company involved.”
Conservative Parliamentary candidate for Dewsbury Simon Reevell criticised the council’s Labour Cabinet for commissioning the study in August.
He said: “Whilst I accept that integration and community cohesion is an important issue, this research is entirely voluntarily and obviously a strategy of the Labour Cabinet.
“It is inappropriate to be wasting public funds at this time. I am sure that many constituents in Dewsbury will be angry that people are being paid from Kirklees funds to attend public forums to give their views.”
But Kirklees Cabinet member for communities Clr Peter O’Neill said the spending was needed after Government surveys showed towns in Kirklees were becoming more polarised.
He said: “In Dewsbury and Mirfield there has been a 12% drop in perceptions that people of different backgrounds get along well, from 58% in 2006 to 46% in 2008.
“Good value for money is always a key concern but we will continue to invest in key priorities, and nothing is more important than getting community cohesion right.”
And the Batley West Labour man said the Conservatives had used vouchers when they ran the council from 2006 until January of this year.
He said: “The Tories began the incentives payments when they were in control and we have continued them as they are common practice in consultations.
“To collect the most useful data from the local community, we need to invite and hear opinions from a wide cross-section of people.
“They then receive a thank-you for giving up several hours of their time, but this is standard best practice in both the public and private sector.
“We are talking about a few hundred pounds in shopping vouchers for vital work that helps us to discover more about issues around community cohesion.”
