Mole Valley Liberal Democrats

Surrey County Council has commissioned a second report from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) to review its financial resilience. This follows a report commissioned in December 2016, costing nearly £25,000, which warned that the financial position of the County Council was "extremely worrying" and that "it is risk of becoming financially unsustainable".

Liberal Democrat councillors have successfully engaged Mole Valley Council to actively resist the funding cut of up to 58% that Surrey County Council is planning for our Children's Centres. At the July Council meeting, the Council agreed a Lib Dem motion calling for opposition to the cuts and mitigating action to reduce their impact.

Liberal Democrat county councillors are calling for urgent improvements to Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services, known as CAMHS, in the county. Surrey County Council currently commissions these services from Surrey & Borders NHS Trust but there has been strong criticism of the long waiting times for routine assessments and appointments. Liberal Democrat county councillors have tabled a motion on CAMHS to be discussed at Council next week.

County Councillors in Surrey have agreed that children's mental health and special needs provision should be the subject of detailed study in partnership with universities and others so that current and future demand for these services can be met. Cllr Chris Botten, Leader of the Lib Dems at SCC moved an amended motion at yesterday's Council meeting, which was passed unanimously, calling for future needs to be understood in the context of current unacceptable waiting lists for CAMHS treatment and a severe shortage of SEND places in the County.

Commenting on the vote in the House of Commons last night on a third runway, Cllr Fiona White, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council, said today:"This is incredibly disappointing news and represents another broken promise to Surrey residents by this Conservative government.

On 18th June 2018, the Home Office issued a letter to the Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, regarding Ahmed Hassan's interaction with the police and Home Office, prior to the Parsons Green bombing incident in September 2017. Commenting on the letter, Cllr Hazel Watson (Liberal Democrat, Dorking Hills) said today:

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Paul Kennedy has written to Mole Valley MP Sir Paul Beresford urging him to vote in favour of the people having the final say on Brexit, including the option to remain in the EU, as Parliament debates the EU Withdrawal Bill.

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson Paul Kennedy said it was "crunch time" and urged local MP Sir Paul Beresford to act "before it was too late".

Visitors at yesterday's Ashtead Village Day gave clear messages on Brexit to the Government. By putting their views on our Brexometer throughout the day they showed that:

• they overwhelmingly don't think that Brexit is going well;
• they think it will be bad both for jobs and for the NHS;
• they want a People's Vote on the final deal.

Many thanks to numerous Ashtead residents and visitors who came to visit our stall at yesterday's Ashtead Village Day. Our soft toy tombola was very popular and raised funds for three local charities - the Epsom Foodbank, Ashtead Youth Centre and Leatherhead Children's Centre.

The local team would also like to help local activists from Mole Valley and Epsom & Ewell who came to help.

Responding to the publication of today's Ofsted inspection of Surrey County Council, Cllr Chris Botten, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, said:

"The publication today of the Ofsted report into Surrey's Children's services makes difficult reading, and tells of a slow, almost dilatory approach to improvement since the last Ofsted inspection. I agree that the right leadership and governance arrangements are now in place to make rapid progress, but am concerned about the lost years for the children in our care. Surrey County Council has been far too slow to recognise the urgent need for modernisation and improvement. The new appointment of an Executive Director for Children, Families & Learning gives me confidence going forward, but nothing can repair the years when children received poor support and were at risk. Each and every recommendation in the report must be implemented and I will do my best to ensure, through my membership of the Children's Select Committee, that they are".