The Government has refused to hand a life-line to councils facing a cash crisis over equal pay.

Local government minister, Phil Woolas, refused to talk to The MJ on the subject, but issued a statement claiming: ‘The onus is on local government to resolve the issue of equal pay for equal value in an affordable manner.' He said the timetable for introducing pay and grading reviews was agreed between unions and local government – without central government involvement. ‘This was not imposed by central government but allowed them to take account of affordability constraints,' he added.