§ Mr. David EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, when he will take his capping decisions for 1993–94; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RedwoodMy right hon. and learned Friend intends to take his capping decisions for 1993–94 once he has considered all the budget information which authorities are required to submit to him no later than 16 March 1993.
However, on the basis of the information currently available to him it remains my right hon. and learned Friend's firm intention to adopt as the capping criteria for 1993–94 the provisional criteria which he announced on 26 November 1992. It is now open to any authority which has budgeted above the limit implied by those provisional criteria to set a new lower budget within that limit.