Local Government Finance

I simply do not recognise that description of the announcement I made yesterday about local government restructuring; it is so wide of the mark that it does not do the right hon. Gentleman, with his long experience in local government, sufficient credit. The resources that any such councils put into their work with the boundary committee over the next year or so are a matter for those local councils. The right hon. Gentleman is concerned about Suffolk county council, and it is true that his county has done good work in improving the efficiency of its services. It is looking at a formula grant increase over the spending review period of 7.3 per cent., 4.8 per cent. and 4.4 per cent. In total, the grants from central Government mean that Suffolk county council will receive more than £40 million more next year than it will have received this year.