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Local Government Finance

I have been very generous in giving way and I have given way to the hon. Gentleman once already, so I am going to conclude to allow others to speak. On the question of how the 3.5% is calculated, however, after the exchange we have just heard, I would say that I think councils would welcome absolute clarity about what kind of increase would trigger a referendum, not least because of the costs that would result. In conclusion, the settlement needs to be seen for what it is. The Minister referred to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and, as he might have read, last month it talked to a number of senior council officials about the impact that reductions in local authority budgets will have on the most deprived communities. The BBC reported what one officer, who, incidentally, works for a Conservative-controlled authority, said, and I want to quote him. He said, very simply:"““This is the most unfair and unjust settlement I have ever seen””." I agree. It is unfair to councils and unfair to local residents, and that is why we will vote against this motion.