NO job cuts and better response times.

Those are the pledges from health chiefs as they consider shutting four in five ambulance stations across Hampshire to save money.

Plans to axe up to 15 of the county's 19 major stations by 2010 have been put forward to help bosses balance the budget which is £2.7m in the red.

Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which has the worst rating of no stars in the government's NHS league tables, would be following in the footsteps of Staffordshire.

The Midlands county has gained three stars by improving response times after switching from 13 to three major stations.

Union leaders are warning that they will oppose any closures, which could hit rural areas.

Public to air budget views

HAMPSHIRE residents and business leaders - as well as scores of community groups in the county - are due to be consulted about the council's budget proposals for next year.

The huge consultation exercise comes after county bosses revealed council tax could rise by up to seven per cent next year.

Members of the council's ruling Conservative group have launched the consultation after the government predicted that council tax bills will need to rise by between six and seven per cent next April.

County council leader Councillor Ken Thornber said the government was using out-of-date information to calculate the amount of grant given to the authority next year.

He added that the government was using census data from 1991 rather than from 2001 to decide how much to give to the council.

He said: "Hampshire County Council places great emphasis on consulting with council tax payers and representative groups to help inform the budget-setting process and I look forward to a robust debate in the coming weeks.

"We already know government grant shortfalls and the senseless use of 13-year-old census data will mean money will be tight while demand for services continues to exceed our resources.

"Departments will need to do their bit by continuing to make efficiency savings to help us bring in as low a council tax rise as possible while protecting essential services, particularly in social care and education.

"Over the last three years, we've made efficiency improvements of £12m but we have lost £29m in government grant."

He added: "It's clear the government expects councils to deliver more and better services while providing fewer resources. We will be consulting on possible council tax rises of three per cent, five per cent and seven per cent but it is far too soon to predict what the final figure will be."

He revealed that "value for money" targets would also be built into any decisions made about next year's budget.