CASH-STRAPPED Surrey County Council leader David Hodge has been urged to make public a ‘secret letter’ he has written to the county’s 11 MPs regarding the £30million budget deficit.

Due to the rising demand for care for older people and services for children with special educational needs and disabilities, Surrey is looking at a £30million funding gap in the next financial year.

That shortfall comes despite Surrey getting an extra £3million to spend on adult social care for next year unveiled last month by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid.

Lib Dem councillors have called on Mr Hodge to share the letter, referred to as “certain communications from me on behalf of all of you”, at last month’s council meeting, which is believed to spell out in stark terms the financial position of the authority. It follows earlier meetings when councillors of all parties agreed that the leader should lobby central government for more funding for Surrey to help meet increased demand for services.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, who is a Surrey MP, should have been sent a copy of the letter, and also Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, the MP for South West Surrey, including Haslemere.

Hazel Watson, Surrey Lib Dem leader at Kingston’s County Hall, said: “Making representations to MPs is a crucial step to help obtain the extra money that the county council needs.”

She told The Herald:?“But it is only right and proper these representations on behalf of councillors are shared with them, as in February they will be making decisions on the council’s budget which affect services for Surrey residents.

“These communications have been kept secret and this is wrong as Surrey residents have a right to know what representations are being made on their behalf. According to reports, the Tory administration is considering a 16 per cent council tax rise and a referendum, so Surrey residents deserve to be put in the picture regarding the real state of the council’s finances.

“This secret document must be published in full for all to see due to its importance and I wrote to the leader on December 20, asking him to release the letter. In view of the lack of response, I have been forced to submit a Freedom of Information request to the county council for it to be released.

“I regret that despite being an elected councillor, I have to go to these lengths to obtain vital information.”