Hazel Watson: Liberal Democrat ministers protect services for Surrey residents

Commenting on the Chancellor's Autumn Statement announced yesterday, Cllr Hazel Watson Liberal Democrat Leader of the Opposition on Surrey County Council said:

"The intervention of Liberal Democrat Ministers who have stopped an across the board cut of 1% to local government next year is welcome. This will help to protect services for Surrey residents.

"Surrey Liberal Democrats particularly welcome additional funding for schools for those areas in Surrey where there is pressure on school places, funding for maintenance of local roads to help tackle the large backlog of road repairs in Surrey, and funding to improve cycling safety.

"The cancellation of the proposed fuel duty increase that was planned for 1 January 2013 and deferring the 2013-14 increase to 1 September 2013 will help to save the typical motorist £5 every time they fill up at the pumps.

"The Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government have ensured that a further rise in the income tax personal allowance means that since 2010 29,640 of Surrey's lowest income residents have been lifted out of income tax altogether and 470,800 Surrey residents will from April 2013 be £600 a year better off.

"An expectation for all under 25s to live with their parents does not reflect the realities that many young people in Surrey face. Thanks to Liberal Democrat intervention 3,250 young people in Surrey will not lose their housing benefit.

"The Conservative proposals on child benefit were based on the idea that claimants are incentivised to have more children and avoid work. However the majority of child benefit claimants are actually in work but rely on this money to supplement their income in tough times. This proposal would have cost 20,030 families with more than two children in Surrey £13.40 per child per week.

"Whilst everyone must expect to make some contribution to getting the deficit down a complete freeze on all working age benefits was not acceptable. This would have put a tighter squeeze on 11,682 of Surrey's least well-off residents than on everyone else.

"Welfare cuts are unfortunately inevitable in these times. It is one of the biggest parts of government expenditure and with one of the largest public deficits in Europe after the mismanagement of the previous Labour government, whoever was in government would be making savings from these benefits.

"The welfare cuts brought forward by the Conservatives in the Autumn were not acceptable. It has been left to Liberal Democrats to make sure the necessary savings happen in the fairest and most reasonable way possible."

Cllr Watson concluded: "Yesterday's Autumn Statement shows that the intervention of Liberal Democrat ministers has directly benefited Surrey residents."