asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his recent meeting with the deputation from the Merseyside police committee.

I met a delegation from the Merseyside police authority on 10 February to discuss the authority's finances for 1987–88. The delegation explained why the authority considered itself disadvantaged compared with other police joint authorities by the formula provided in the Local Government Finance Bill for determining maximum precepts. I explained that in the Government's view the maximum precept derived from the formula would allow the authority broadly to maintain its present level of service in 1987–88 and that we were therefore unable to agree that the Bill should be amended.