English councils face 1.7% spending power cut in 2013

The worst-off councils in England will have funding cuts which average below 3%, Eric Pickles has told MPs.

But the communities secretary told MPs the wealthiest councils face average funding cuts of 8.7% for 2013-14.

He did not give a single national figure for funding cuts, but said other measures meant overall that councils' "spending power" would be 1.7% lower.