Local Government

Again, I am grateful to the Minister for giving way. I know that he wants to be seen to be generous, but he has just set out the Government's legal responsibility. Therefore, I return to my central point: if any council workers in Shropshire suffer compulsory redundancies, the fault will lie entirely at the door of No. 10 and this Government. The Minister should not try and shift the blame onto the local authorities that will have to work out the details.