Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council have condemned the County's ruling Conservative administration for continuing to hoard council taxpayers money in reserves while putting up Council Tax by the maximum central government will allow without a referendum.

The YEAR END FINANCIAL OUTTURN 2012/13 being discussed by Surrey County Council's Conservative Cabinet on Tuesday, 28 May states that "Usable reserves" have grown from £269.1 million on 31 March 2012 to £288.5 million on 31 March 2013. In addition it is proposed to transfer an extra £5.2 million to the Budget Equalisation Reserve - a "slush fund" for carrying unspent money from one year to the next.

LIB DEM MEP, Sharon Bowles, has welcomed the European Commission's announcement to withdraw its controversial plans to ban refillable olive oil containers in restaurants.

After a week of public outrage over the Commission's plans, Sharon Bowles MEP commented on today's U-turn:

"This has truly been a slippery issue for the Commission and it has quite rightly put the genie back in the bottle.

An EU-US free trade agreement would offer a huge boost to the economy in the South East, Catherine Bearder MEP has said.

MEPs in Strasbourg today (Thursday, May 23) backed the start of historic trade talks between the EU and the US worth up to £10 billion a year to the British economy or nearly £400 per household.

A European Commission proposal to ban reusable olive oil dishes and bottles in restaurants has been branded "plain daft".

Catherine Bearder, an MEP for the South East, has signed a written question calling on the commission to justify the ban.

She said: "Just when the focus should be on promoting jobs and growth, we get a decision which beggars belief.

Sharon Bowles MEP, Chair of the influential Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, has overseen the signing into law of ESA 2010, the European System of National and Regional Accounts, after a successful campaign to improve transparency in EU Member States´ statistics, and limit exceptions to the rules.

Following the results of new, tougher EU standards for assessing Britain's beaches, which include testing water quality, local Lib Dem Euro MP Sharon Bowles is delighted by the news that 15 beaches in the South East region were awarded a blue flag status.

Approximately one third of all the blue flags awarded in the UK were presented to the South East, meaning that these beaches met the "excellent standard" which came in under a new EU bathing water directive.

Following the EU Leaders Summit today, Sharon Bowles MEP, Chair of the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, has welcomed the provision to extend Country-by-Country Reporting to groups and companies within the EU in the Non-Financial Reporting Directive.

Sharon Bowles MEP said:

Blue flags are flying on more beaches run by Thanet District Council than in any other part of the country, Keep Britain Tidy said today (Wednesday, May 22).

The Kent authority has claimed the title for most exemplary blue flag beaches with eight, while the South East now has 15 in total - down from 20 last year.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, today cautioned that the plans to hand over supervision of Eurozone banks to the ECB constituted a major pooling of sovereignty.

Ms Bowles also called for the Parliament to hold out for an agreement which would ensure full accountability of ECB supervision.

Ahead of tomorrow's EU Summit in Brussels, the European Parliament has backed a common European strategy to combat tax fraud, evasion and havens.

Sharon Bowles MEP, who chairs the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, said:

"It is totally unacceptable that corporate tax avoidance is now the norm in Europe, aided and abetted by aggressive tax planning and tax consultancy firms.

Question by Mrs Dean To The Leader of the Council

Will the Leader of the Council please say whether in view of public concern regarding so-call 'gagging clauses' within severance agreements with staff, he is willing to cease the use of such clauses by Kent County Council?

Answer

It is entirely understandable that there is such concern over "gagging clauses" however there is a massive misunderstanding as to why they are used. The term 'compromise agreements' can mean all things to all people and we must be clear on the definition of this term. I am pleased therefore to have the opportunity to make it clear that KCC does not use compromise agreements in the context described to prevent an employee 'discussing the work and services of the organisation'.

Question by Rob Bird to Roger Gough, Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform

Of 150 councils whose primary schools are inspected by Ofsted, Kent was ranked tenth from the bottom and for the fourth year in succession 45% of our primary schools were judged to be under-performing. I am sure all members will welcome the recent improvement in the Ofsted ratings of Kent's primary schools and will join me in congratulating all the schools that have received improved Ofsted reports.

Question by Martin Vye to David Brazier, Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment

Will the Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment give his assurance that in the course of the impending review of traffic management in the City of Canterbury, the County and District Councillors for Canterbury City, and representatives of local residents and businesses will be engaged right from the start in consideration of possible options, and in the drafting of firm proposals?

Question by George Koowaree to David Brazier, Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment

Recently I witnessed a site employee at the temporary Ashford Household Waste Recycling facility getting into the metal recycling container to rearrange items to maximise the space for additional metal waste apparently because there was no crusher fitted.

Question by Brian Clark to David Brazier, Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment

Prior to the last Joint Transport Board (JTB) meeting I submitted a large petition objecting to the bus lane proposal along the Sutton and Loose Roads. During the meeting, the Chairman categorically stated that the plan would not go ahead (to confirm this point a letter from Bryan Sweetland, former Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways & Waste was read, which only referred to the Loose Road section).