SCC Tories underspend Millions whilst slashing Services

Last minute papers tabled at the Cabinet meeting of the Conservative administration running Surrey County Council has revealed an underspend of £22.5m on the capital budget, plus a further underspend of £38.2m on its revenue budget for 2010/11, in the year ending 31 March 2011.

Cllr Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Surrey County Council, said: "The Conservative administration is claiming that the council is short of money, in order to justify introducing unpopular on-street parking charges and cuts in services such as the mobile library service and smaller libraries, plus concessionary bus fares, services for older people and the Youth Service. The truth is that the County Council is actually underspending its budget and its healthy reserves are increasing even more."

"The unspent Policy Initiatives budget of £1.4m, under the control of the Conservative Leader of the Council for "Good News" announcements, will be used to double the amount available in 2011/12."

"The Invest to Save budget has an underspend of £3.9m, which will be added to the £6.8m 2011/12 budget."

"The County Council's general available balances will be £25m, which is £2m more than the budget for 2011/12, approved by the Conservative administration only last month."

"All this shows that the Conservative administration is unnecessarily cutting front line services whilst piling up money in the bank. This money should be spent where it is most needed - on services used by Surrey residents."