A STINGING attack by a Tory minister on Lancashire Social Services came just days after the same department won two top government awards.

Environment Secretary John Gummer accused the county's social services of inefficiency in the same week it's own independent assessors gave two Leyland day centres a Charter Mark for excellence. Now, council leader Louise Ellman has challenged Mr Gummer to explain his comments.

Mr Gummer said of the authority in the House of Commons last week: "... it is a badly run council which, for a long time has wasted significant sums, and if it started to spend more by enabling elderly people to go into private homes, for example, it would save a great deal, all of which it could spend on education if it got off its backside."

Mrs Ellman retorted: "This is a typical government own goal. At the same time Ministers and MPs launched a blatantly political attack on Lancashire Social Services their own officials have awarded the very same service John Major's highest award."

The two social services run centres which scooped the awards were the Crossways Day Centre for people with learning disability and the Leyland Day Centre for elderly people.

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