LIBERAL Democrat county councillors are calling for the release of an “invisible” report, for which the Conservative administration at County Hall paid nearly £25,000.

The report was quoted in the papers for the council’s budget meeting held on February 7, and relates to a ‘financial resilience review’, which was carried out by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy at the request of the leader of the council, in November 2016 – and cost £24,500.

Lib Dem leader councillor Hazel Watson said: “I have asked the council for a copy of this report and the response I have received is the Conservative cabinet has only received an oral version and has not yet received a written copy.

“It is absolutely astonishing the Conservative administration can pay nearly £25,000 for just an oral report on such an important matter as the council’s finances and four months after the work was done, there is still no written report.

“I would have expected such a review to have been available before the budget meeting of the council for all councillors and Surrey residents to read, to get an independent view of the council’s financial position.

“It begs the question – what has the Conservative administration at County Hall got to hide about the council’s finances?

“I am calling for this report to be made available immediately so councillors and residents can benefit from the information and judge for themselves whether it was value for money to pay almost £25,000 for this review.”

Surrey has set a budget of £656.8 million for 2017/18 to help meet the cost of increasing pressures on adult social care.

This will mean a 4.99 per cent increase in council tax for county council services.

The increase is made up of a 1.99 per cent general council tax rise and a three per cent increase specifically for adult social care, which will raise £18million to help meet the growing needs of vulnerable older people.

Despite the additional funding raised through council tax this year, the pressures are so great that the council has plans to make further significant savings of £93million.

It has also set up a sustainability review board to identify additional savings to help meet growing demand for services.