Local Government Finance

What I announced is what we will do—remove the double damping on the formula in two of the three areas of social services. Floors damping is a general feature of the system—incidentally, it was this Government who introduced it, in 2000, to protect councils year-on-year against the sort of volatility and unpredictability that they used to suffer. That will be removed, but it will unwind over the course of this spending review and the next one. If the hon. Gentleman is concerned about Cornwall, he should note that it will receive an 8.5 per cent. formula grant increase next year. I hope that he puts to its county council that were it to make the efficiency savings that we expect, nearly a further £9.5 million would be available to it, so if it chose to reduce council tax bills, rather than improve services, it could do so by £50.