Tories' £26m Waste Hole

12.00.00am GMT Fri 23rd Jan 2004

The Tories want to bury the problem

Auditors KPMG have warned in their annual audit inspection that £26 million, already given to the County Council for its waste disposal scheme, might have to be returned to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). If this happened there would be extremely grave consequences for the Council's financial position. So at next Tuesday's meeting of Surrey County Council, Lib Dem County Councillor Tom Sharp will ask what steps the Tory administration are taking to ensure that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not reclaim £26m already given to the County Council for its waste disposal scheme.

Councillor Tom Sharp said, "I am deeply concerned about the implications for Surrey's taxpayers. The Tory administration on Surrey County Council would be very unwise if they do not take immediate robust action with regard of the auditor warnings on this matter".

Councillor Sharp added, "This fact was not included in the press release sent out by the Leader of the Council this week. I suspect that the Tory executive does not wish to highlight to members generally, and the Surrey public at large, the scale of the auditors' warning"