Surrey Schools Services sold to Defence Contractor

10.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 31st Jul 2003

... not clear what improvements this proposed joint venture can bring ...

Despite strong opposition from the Liberal Democrat group, the Conservative majority on Surrey County Council has forced through a sell off of Surrey school support services to warship makers Vosper Thornycroft.

The Conservative Executive of Surrey County Council have taken a decision to form a joint venture with VT Education for the provision of school support services and to give it a contract for school support services in Surrey. VT Education is a newly formed division of Vosper Thornycroft, a company that also builds and equips warships.

The Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council earlier proposed a motion calling on the Council to reject the Executive's proposal. Before the meeting Cllr Janet Maines, leader of the Lib Dem group said: "The Liberal Democrats are concerned about the future of support services for Surrey schools. Experts inside and outside the County regard these services, called Four S, as excellent. It is not clear what improvements this proposed joint venture can bring - particularly when their preferred partner is a defence company, rather than a significant provider of education."

Proposing the motion to reject the plan, Dr John Hobrough spoke about the concerns of the Diocesan authorities responsible for the many Church schools in Surrey. Instead of the planned partnership with Vosper Thornycroft, the Liberal Democrats called on the Conservative administration to examine other ways of developing the valuable work being done by Four S for Surrey schools.

The Lib Dem motion to think again was defeated, with 22 for and 42 against. Instead the Council agreed to accept the advice of the Executive and support the formation of a joint venture company with VT Education, subject to the satisfactory resolution of outstanding issues.

The decision was subsequently ratified at a special meeting of the Executive.