THE focus on combating climate change is “fashionable” a cabinet member has said as she fights for more attention on adult social care in this year’s budget.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet agreed its recommendations for the forthcoming budget including a five per cent council tax rise – £54.60 per annum –  to be decided by full council later this month.

Following public consultation and scrutiny by councillors some amendments were suggested including adding a climate change budget line.

Cllr Tessa Hodgson said at Monday’s meeting (February 10) that while there were concerns for the climate there as a “real and present crisis in social care.”

She added that because of campaigners such as Greta Thunburg and David Attenborough “it’s all very fashionable and headline news” but she wanted to “draw everybody back to our statutory duty to provide services.”

This includes services for “our most vulnerable people in society” said Cllr Hodgson as she reminded members that people were stuck in hospital or “struggling to get through the day because we don’t have the resources to provide package of care.”

Under-pressure adult social care was among the services that made successful “bids for growth” in the draft budget following the better than expected settlement from Welsh Government.

Schools, education services, environmental services and IT are among the other areas to receive budget increases.

A funding gap of £6.5million remains.

Cllr Bob Kilmister said identifying what amount should be allocated to the budget provision for climate change requested by policy overview and scrutiny but amended a recommendation to include “sufficient resource.”

He said: “Cabinet resolves to provide sufficient resource in year that is necessary to enable progress to be made and will make full use of any external funding opportunities.”

He added that the under-funding of social care was a national problem which required UK government to take action.