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Dear Editor
Free Swimming for the Young
and over 60s in Hull
It would be helpful for your readers to know the facts about
Hull City Council’s recent failure to apply for Government money
for free swimming in Hull.
Fact 1: Hull City Council were offered £66,076 in 2009/10 and
the same again in 2010/11 to provide free swimming to those aged 60
and over. This was worked out according to the number of elderly
people in the city.
Fact 2: The Council declined this offer and did not bother to
submit an expression of interest to provide free swimming to those
aged 16 or under.
Fact 3: Hull could not therefore be allocated money for the
under 16s nor for the 2008/09 one-off capital reward payment to
which they would have been eligible - had they opted in. It
is very difficult to know where Hull Council got their
figures from about a funding shortfall if they did not even know
what the Government would give them for the under 16s.
Fact 4: By opting out, Hull were also unable to submit bids to
the Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Fund, a £25m pot in 2009/10
and 2010/11. Access to this money would have been useful for Hull
as all three of our stand alone swimming baths are in dire need of
improvements, including new boilers in one, a new roof in another
and general upgrades across the board.
Fact 5: Nationally, 85 per cent of local authorities have
applied for this funding. Why not Hull?
Those wanting to sign my petition to persuade the Lib Dem
Council to reconsider its position on this matter can do so at my
website on www.dianajohnson.co.uk.
Yours sincerely
Diana Johnson MP
Kingston upon Hull North
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26 November 2008: To Hull Daily Mail - published 5 December 2008
