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Council Tax

The hon. Gentleman is always assiduous in making a strong case for his area's interests, but the police authority budget, following the action that I have proposed to the House, means that the authority will have more than £10 million above the level of last year's budget. It can add a 26 per cent. rise on its council tax precept, which is more that it said that it needed to set a balanced budget. We have taken into careful account the full case made by the authority, both in writing and in person to my right hon. Friend the Minister for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing, who, I am pleased to say, is sitting on the Front Bench, and to me.