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Council Tax

I understand my hon. Friend’s point. Lancashire police authority has, in common with others, been reasonable in setting balanced budgets. My hon. Friend’s question about the impact of the merger of his police force is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, who will shortly take decisions on the future composition of the police. My hon. Friend’s point about the historic level of the council tax having a huge impact on the way in which the precepts have been levied has also been raised by several hon. Members. One of the major reasons why I took the decision to abolish the formula spending share was to allow greater transparency so that the House and the Lyons review can make decisions on the basis of facts rather than notional figures.