County Council must stop wasting money

9.47.00pm GMT Wed 28th Jan 2009

Surrey County Council is wasting excessive amounts of money, claims County Councillor Hazel Watson

Speaking during the debate at this week's meeting of Surrey County Council, Lib Dem opposition leader Hazel Watson said that the Conservative administration must stop wasting council taxpayers' money.

"I support seeking more government funding for Surrey, as I am sure we all would," she said. "However simply whingeing to government about inadequate funding is unlikely to persuade them to provide the County Council with more funding. A well-argued factual analysis of Surrey's income, expenditure and need is more likely to persuade the government to provide more funding to the County Council than simply whingeing" she added.

Cllr Watson said that the County Council must not be complacent. It must not put the full blame for lack of money on the government, because this would ignore the fact that Surrey residents expect the County Council to ensure that it obtains value for money and is efficient.

"The reality is very different," said Hazel. "The County Council wastes excessive amounts of money on consultants, agency staff, out of County placements, sickness absence, excess office space and glossy publications - to name just a few."

"There are many ways in which the County Council could and should save money on overheads and for that money to be re-invested in services for the benefit of residents," she concluded. "My message is do not just blame the government, but stop wasting money."