Northumberland Leader asks where's the Surrey deal for Northumberland's Social Care??

The Right Hon Jeremy Hunt MP

Secretary of State for Health

Department of Health

Richmond House

79 Whitehall

LONDON

SW1A 2NS

Dear Mr Hunt

I understand from coverage in the media that Surrey County Council have been given assurances that early access to additional income from business rates will enable them to balance their budget without the need to choose between unacceptable cuts to social care services and a referendum on a 15% Council Tax increase.

I am delighted that the need for additional social care funding to address the growing national crisis has now been recognised by the Government, and I look forward to an early announcement that equivalent additional funding will now be made available to areas such as the North East, where the need for publicly-funded social care is even greater than in more prosperous parts of the country such as Surrey.

As I am sure you are well aware, funding solutions based on additional income from business rates (or Council Tax) raised in the local area are not a solution which will work in all parts of the country, because of large differences in the local tax base. But if the principle has been accepted that further business rates income should be available to support social care, I am sure that you imminently be announcing a mechanism for sharing this additional income across all local authorities on the basis of need.

Since Northumberland, like every local authority, is now at a late stage in the process of setting its budget, I would appreciate an urgent reply confirming that extra funding will be available.

Yours sincerely

Councillor Grant Davey

Leader of the Council