§ Lord Willoughby de Brokeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that their proposals for charge-capping Warwickshire County Council are fair and reasonable, having regard to the authority's proven record of efficient management and low expenditure; and whether they consider further forced cuts in expenditure will not affect the basic services of education, fire and police.
§ Baroness BlatchWhen he announced his capping decisions on 3rd April, my center honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment made clear that his proposed charge cap for Warwickshire represented his considered view of what it would be reasonable and appropriate to expect the authority to achieve in the light of all the information then available to him. The authority has now put forward an alternative cap at the level of its original budget. My center honourable friend will carefully consider Warwickshire's case and all other information he thinks is relevant before making an order, which is subject to affirmative resolution in another place, specifying the cap for Warwickshire, which may be the same as, or different to, the figure he originally 29WA proposed. Once the cap has been finalised it is for the authority to consider its spending priorities within its revised budget.