To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list powers he has to control excessive expenditure by a parish or town council; and if he will exercise them in the case of Tadley town council in the borough of Basingstoke.

We have no such powers. We expect parish and town councils to budget prudently. We have, however, included a provision in the Local Government Finance Bill, currently before Parliament, which would allow my right hon. Friend, by order, to bring parish precepts within the budgets of districts for the purposes of capping.