Local Government Finance

My hon. Friend is right, to the extent that this is always a decision about the balance between wanting to see the changes that should flow from formula calculations come through into the system and the reward of grants, and ensuring year-on-year stability and a degree of predictability for local government. The decision on the floors for the police grant follows exactly the same approach as we took in the current two-year spending settlement. The floor will be 2.5 per cent. in each of the next three years.