ALL council budgets for Serennu with its 21st century facilities all under one roof should be ring-fenced. The three councils involved should be ashamed of the distress caused to these families by even considering such cuts.

Newport proposing a cut of £24,000 is chickenfeed, when they subsidise the Riverfront theatre to the tune of £35,000 each year and are loaning funding for a commercial development worth millions.

Torfaen’s statement in the Argus that its ICT running costs budget is sufficient to provide 44 iPads (costing about £400 each) for 44 councillors without any extra funding suggests this and other budgets could be pruned before touching Serennu funds.

When council staff were transferred to the educational Pontypool Settlement to reduce rental costs, much of this saving was then wasted with spending on new computers and chairs/furniture for them to use. As a ratepayer, am I to assume these staff previously completed their duties standing up with abacus boards?

This Serennu dilemma relates to rent charges by the Aneurin Bevan Health Board, itself strapped for cash. So, back to the Assembly – busy preparing a case for an increase in members at a proposed cost of approx £7 million. No doubt this will require additional chauffeur-driven limousines for extra cabinet members. (To date the cost to taxpayers over three years is £500,000, excluding chauffeur salaries).

If a few more AMs used their free travel passes and increased their well paid working hours instead of numbers, our taxes would go further in funding both the Serennu Centre and the Welsh NHS.

The Newport Scrutiny Committee is to be applauded for refusing to accept the cuts to this centre that provides essential therapies, support and care to already disadvantaged children and families. Torfaen and Monmouthshire, take note!

Joan Briggs, Ambryn Road, Pontypool