LIBERAL Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis has criticised a £300,000 bill for a county council "ego trip."

North Yorkshire County Council has put up the cash for new name plates at the entrances of county schools.

But Harrogate MP Mr Willis said the money would be better spent directly on pupils.

He said: "It is an absolute disgrace that such a large sum of money should be wasted on so-called corporate logos for our schools when they need the cash to spend on pupils. £300,000 would make a huge difference at King James's School in Knaresborough for urgently-needed new buildings.

"Only last month the school was told there was not sufficient resources to support their building programme. Scores of primary schools urgently need new computers, books and other essentials and this money would go a long way.

"The Conservative-led council is proposing a near ten per cent rise in council tax, yet is wasting valuable resources on what is little more than an ego trip."

But Councillor Chris Metcalfe, the council's education spokesman, said Mr Willis was out of date. He said supplying the signs had now gone out to tender, and would cost only £100,000 rather than the anticipated £300,000.

Projects that the extra £200,000 could be spent on included increasing access for disabled pupils, he said.

"The council has just gone through a review, and one of the criticisms was that it lacked identity as an organisation. We had an underspend from the budget of 2001 and 2002, and we decided it was best targeted at a one-off project.

"We decided to provide school signs with corporate imagery. This is not a waste of money, it is money well spent."

The council is anticipating a 9.5 per cent council tax rise next year.

Updated: 10:49 Tuesday, December 24, 2002