"Public endorses decision to close sheltered employment centre"

Spotted by Bob E in The Belfast Telegraph:

The general public has overwhelmingly endorsed the case for closing a central London facility providing superior day care and monitoring for some of the nation's most unemployable people of working age, saying the loss-making site was not only failing in its announced aim of helping the inmates become productive and valuable members of society but that the immense and growing costs could not continue to be subsidised by taxpayers any longer.

Tom Logan, piano salesman, spoke for many members of the public in saying the "millions upon millions" budget for the facility could be spent much more effectively on other forms of support for the 600 plus inmates of the facility - for example it only cost £42,000 a year to house someone in prison for example, which was far cheaper than the present cost per head of the facility and whilst in prison there was at least a chance of the inmates honing their existing limited skill sets and possibly learning new ones.  He also suggested there ought to be a further public consultation on the future of the partner facility which exists alongside it in London where "every time an inmate turns up and spends the day sleeping on a bench it still costs a minimum of £300 in "expenses reimbursement" for each inmate.

"We should empty the place out, sell off the furniture and fittings and then the site to the private sector, who would put it to some money generating use" added French polisher Nikki Hollis "and who knows some of the current inmates might even get taken on by the new owners as lift attendants and in minor support roles such as delivering post, clearing up litter, and so on"

A spokesperson for the facility said the public attitude was entirely misplaced. Only the most deserving of cases were admitted to the facility following rigorous testing of lack of ability and unsuitability for work and there was no chance of the facility closing, and that cost was surely not an issue when you considered that left to their own devices the inmates would inevitably end up on the streets or in prison.

He confirmed however that inmates, deeply hurt by the lack of public sympathy for their plight, would be taking long term industrial action lasting several weeks possibly stretching into months in the near future by not attending the facility, although they fully expected to continue to receive their full "inmate stipend" and "additional living allowances" whilst on this protest, as they simply could not do without them.