HBS Lifts Gag on County Severance Pay

11.23.48am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 9th Sep 2005

County Councillors Had Been Barred From Discussing Details of HBS' Departure

Following the announcement from former County Council partner HBS that it is to receive a £7.7 million severance fee, details which County Councillors had been banned from discussing, Lib Dem Councillor Susan Gaszczak said:

"It is good news that the £7.7m payment to HBS is finally public. I am however left as a county councillor feeling gagged. At a meeting on the first day of the council running all services, councillors were told by the Conservative Leader of the County Council and the Chief Executive that this matter was not for public discussion and could only be scrutinised by the Auditors.

After being gagged, it appears HBS released the figure and go on to praise the services they delivered, despite providing services to the county council rated as the second worst in the country. I hope now we can scrutinise what was paid and why."