Apologies for the 'party political' flavour of this posting, this is a press release that has gone out to the mainstream media and I thought IMC readers would be interested as well.

Matt

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GREENS SLAM COUNCIL'S OUTSOURCING DECISION

Oxford City Council Green Group today condemned the decision taken by a combined vote of the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups to outsource the Council's council tax collection function to a consortium including the infamous Capita Group. The decision, taken at the budget meeting on Monday 20th February, saw only the Green Group councillors voting against the proposal.

Capita Group are one of the largest private handlers of outsourced public services in the UK, and despite record profits have gained a dubious reputation due to examples of mismanagement in the Criminal Records Bureau, Lambeth Borough, Bromley Borough, and other major contracts. A contract to run Oxford City Council's 'out of hours' council tax collection service was awarded to Capita last month, and Monday's decision massively expands their involvement in Oxford's council tax process. If the proposal
is enacted, Oxford will enter into a consortium with two other Oxfordshire district councils, all of whom are outsourcing their collection function to Capita.

Cllr Matt Sellwood, who is the Green Party member of Oxford City Council's Executive Board, commented: "This is an absolutely outrageous decision. Capita are known amongst many as 'Crapita', and for good reason - they have an appalling record of mismanagement, and were the company responsible for
the delays and chaos of teacher vetting in the Criminal Records Bureau several years ago. Lambeth Borough Council were forced to terminate their multi-million pound contract with Capita because of massive problems, and I am astounded that the Labour administration has chosen to go down this route, with Liberal Democrat support."

Cllr Sellwood continued: "Even if Capita manage to run this contract competently, the problems of outsourcing council tax collection cannot be escaped. Democratic control over the conduct of their employees in pursuing debtors will be lost, and vulnerable people will be hounded by a private company concerned only with meeting targets and increasing its profits. What is more, the operation is likely to be run from Capita's Bromley and Coventry call centres, by people who have never even been to
Oxford, and who know nothing about our council. Of course the City Council needs to increase its rate of collection, but this is entirely the wrong way to go about it. The Green Group will fight this decision in every way possible."