Surrey Lib Dem members who sit on the select committee for Children, Families, Lifelong Learning and Culture have responded to news that the Good Law Project is taking legal action against Surrey County Council.

Fiona White (Guildford West) said:

"It comes as no surprise to me and my Surrey Lib Dem colleagues, who have challenged Surrey County Council on its delivery of services to vulnerable children over many years, that it is now facing a legal challenge for failing in its statutory duty.

Lib Dems have secured support for measures that will result in all care leavers in Surrey being exempt from paying council tax from next April.

In 2018, Surrey Lib Dems won unanimous backing at Surrey County Council for a motion to exempt care leavers from paying tax until they are 25. Ten of Surrey's eleven borough and district councils have also already taken this step, but under Conservative administration, Tandridge District Council had been holding out against the exemption, however a change in the power balance there has now created an opportunity for the District to move into line with the rest of the county.

The local Lib Dems created a petition calling on Surrey County Council to increase the opening times and allow pedestrian access at the Community Recycling Centres in Caterham and Warlingham.

Lib Dem County Councillor for Caterham Valley, Jeffrey Gray, said:

"Local residents have become increasingly frustrated by the long queues outside the recycling centres on Bond Road in Warlingham and Chaldon Road in Caterham. The local tips' opening hours have been cut back so that when they are open, the demand is greater than ever, causing congestion in local roads."

The local Lib Dems have called on Surrey County Council to stand up to the Government over its failure to deliver the previously promised reform of the social care system.

Lib Dem Councillors have tabled a motion to the County Council's next meeting on 13th July demanding that the Council continues to put pressure on the Government and Surrey's MPs to honour their pledge to tackle the crisis in social care.

This Carers Week, the Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to provide emergency funding to give carers a break from dramatically increased caring responsibilities during the Covid pandemic.
More than 108,400 people in Surrey are looking after elderly, disabled or vulnerable people. Data from Carers UK shows 64% of carers have not been able to take any sort of a break during the pandemic.

Schools across Surrey are set to lose £1.1 million in funding for the most disadvantaged pupils in the county following the Government's decision to alter the method of calculating pupil premium funding.

The pupil premium, which aims to close the attainment gap by providing extra money to pupils eligible for free school meals, was a flagship reform introduced by the Lib Dems in Government in 2011.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for all EU citizens in the UK to be given the automatic right to stay, as new figures reveal that 3,580 living in Surrey are still waiting for the Home Office to process their applications - with just five weeks to go before the Government's deadline.

The latest EU Settlement Scheme statistics show that, as of the end of March, there have been 80,8880 applications from people living in Surrey, with 77,300 of these having been concluded.

The Lib Dem Group on Surrey County Council has elected Will Forster as its new Group Leader.

Will Forster, County Councillor for Woking South, was chosen as the new Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Surrey County Council at a meeting between members this morning. He succeeds Councillor Chris Botten, who narrowly lost his seat in the recent election.

The Lib Dems called on Surrey County Council to support EU citizens living locally and lobby the Government to grant EU citizens the automatic right to stay in the UK.

During this week's Full Council meeting, Councillor Chris Botten and the Lib Dems tabled a motion after new Home Office figures reveal that 4800 people in Surrey are still waiting for a decision on their 'Settled Status' application.

The Lib Dems on Surrey County Council are proposing an amendment to the Council's budget to invest in tackling road safety problems across the county.

Recognising that there is huge frustration in communities about the difficulties in getting road safety schemes funded in a timely manner, the Lib Dems are proposing a Road Safety Fund to ensure that local communities can get the speed signs, crossings or other safety measures which many residents call for. Where there is local support, 20 mph zones, could also be introduced using this potential Road Safety Fund.