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Cllr Hazel Watson

Welcome to the website of the Liberal Democrat Group on Surrey County Council, we hope you find it interesting. Amongst other things, you can:

Cllr Hazel Watson

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Carers to wait longer for respite

Wed 29th Oct 2008

When the use of Wells House, Epsom for children's respite care ended in December 2006, parents were told that a replacement facility would be provided in Banstead by September 2007. This has not yet happened, and when Cllr Colin Taylor (Lib Dem) asked the Executive Member for an update it was revealed that the new unit is now expected to open two years late in September 2009.

County Cllr Colin Taylor

Adult social care just "adequate"

Wed 29th Oct 2008

Closely behind the disastrous inspection of its Children's Services, the County Council has now received criticism of its adult social services from CSCI (Commission for Social Care Inspection). As a result, the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council are demanding improvements.

Elderly people

Update on Children & Families service

Wed 29th Oct 2008

Following the damning Ofsted inspection of Surrey County Council's Children & Families' service in July, the government stepped in to safeguard vulnerable children who have been put at risk.

Children

Credit Crunch - Nick Clegg's Message

Thu 23rd Oct 2008

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg has issued the following message.

Lib Dem Recovery Plan

£58 million underspend puts county council's service improvements at risk

Wed 15th Oct 2008

The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have called for the Conservative administration to get a grip on its finances, after revealing it has £58 million of unspent capital in its coffers from the 2007/08 financial year.

Cty Cllr Hazel Watson

Sharon Bowles regrets European Parliament's return to Strasbourg

Sun 12th Oct 2008

South East MEP Sharon Bowles (Lib Dem) was disappointed by the news that after holding its previous two plenary sessions in Brussels, due to the collapse of the ceiling of the chamber in Strasbourg, the European Parliament would be returning to its regular seat for its October session.

Sharon Bowles MEP with some of the trunks that are taken to Strasbourg once a month containing papers and other office items the MEPs need

Justice for Gurkhas?

Tue 30th Sep 2008

The High Court ruling that the Home Office's instructions denying Gurkhas the right to live in the UK are unlawful, is a great moral victory not only for these brave warriors, but also for the long campaign fought on their behalf. This was backed recently by actress Joanna Lumley after being raised in Parliament by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP last March and again in June.

Nick Clegg presented with Gurkha medals [Picture: Alex Folkes / fishnik.com]

Ashford International saved!

Mon 25th Aug 2008

Against all the odds, local MEP Sharon Bowles' campaign to save the Eurostar station at Ashford International has succeeded.

Sharon with Ashford protestors

Convince the UK to support a Europe-wide missing child recovery system.

Thu 21st Aug 2008

Local MEP Sharon Bowles is asking for your help to convince the UK government to acknowledge the wishes of thousands of parents across Europe and support a Europe-wide child protection system in the Council of Ministers.

Sharon and Laura

Lib Dem MEPs sponsor campaign to stop child sex tourism

Mon 18th Aug 2008

A group of Lib Dem MEPs has sponsored a new campaign to stop child sex tourism and the global exploitation of children for sex. With the increasing ease of travel, new technology and rising migration and displacement, children everywhere are being sexually exploited. This practice must be stopped both at home and abroad.

Wallis: 'It is time to put an end to child sex tourism'

Government forces further unwanted housing on Surrey and threatens the Green Belt

Mon 18th Aug 2008

The amendments to the South-East Plan proposed by the Secretary of State, in response to the Independent Panel Report on the draft prepared by the Regional Assembly, have increased the demand for additional new housing sites in South-East England by a further 4%, some 15% above the carefully prepared realistic targets put forward by the region's own experts.

Lib Dem greenbelt campaigners (photography: David Fidgeon)

Lib Dems slam 'shocking' report on services for vulnerable children

Tue 22nd Jul 2008

The Lib Dem group have called on the Leader of Surrey County Council to resign following the publication of a damning report on services for vulnerable children in the County.

Lukewarm Tory support for Local Committees

Wed 18th Jun 2008

This week Surrey County Council debated its 2007 Community Survey, which reveals that:

Lib Dems call for increase in public participation at Surrey County Council

Tue 17th Jun 2008

Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council (SCC) today called for more opportunities for the pubic to get involved in local democracy, but the suggestions were opposed by the ruling Conservative administration.

The three unwise Tories

Tories Respond to Lib Dem Campaign to Repair Roads

Mon 19th May 2008

The Tory controlled County Council has responded to the Liberal Democrat campaign to improve the condition of Surrey's roads by allocating funding for road maintenance and financing a two-year programme worth £35.4 million. This follows their failure to spend all their own Highways budget over the last five years.

Cllr Marilyn Merryweather, Cllr Olaf Kolassa and Cllr Fiona White inspect damage to Cabell Road

Surrey Liberal Democrats stand firm on county's Waste Plan

Wed 7th May 2008

Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council have maintained their strong opposition to the Surrey Waste Plan (SWP), voting against a recommendation to adopt it when it came before the council at its Annual Meeting. The council was being asked to agree to its adoption following a report published by Government inspectors into the public examination of the Plan at the end of 2007. This report declared the plan to be 'sound' but Cllr Sarah Di Caprio, Lib Dem group Environment spokesperson, said the inspectors had pointed to various shortcomings in the plan and they suggested calling for an early review.

Incinerator building

Youth Service U-turn After Sustained Lib Dem Pressure

Fri 14th Mar 2008

Surrey Liberal Democrats have welcomed the lifting of the County's freeze on Youth Service recruitment, highlighted in recent months by County Councillor Diana Smith Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Schools and Learning.

Young People

School Admissions Update

Fri 14th Mar 2008

The schools admission process is a long haul for parents, with applications made in the autumn and places only now being offered for this coming September, 2008. At the same time Surrey County Council has been going through the equally long process of deciding how school places will be allocated for September 2009.

Children outside school

Lib Dems Urge Longer Term Funding Commitment for "Self-Reliance"

Tue 4th Mar 2008

Surrey Liberal Democrats have called upon Surrey County Council to maintain funding for its work devoted to building stronger communities in disadvantaged areas of Surrey, the so-called Self-Reliance Projects.

County Councillor Fiona White (Guildford West)

Tory budget is bad news for Surrey residents

Tue 5th Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats at Surrey County Council today opposed the ruling Conservative administration's 4.8% rise in Council Tax and condemned a cut in roads and schools maintenance spending. Highlighting her group's alternative proposals, Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Hazel Watson (Dorking Hills), said it would be possible to limit the Council Tax rise to 4.5%, a saving of £1.5m.

Banknotes in Wallet
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Quote of the Week

"This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can."

Barack Obama, the next President of the USA

Acceptance speech - 5 November 2008

Downing Street Says

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