GATESHEAD COUNCIL

That this House congratulates Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, its members, officials and all its workers on yet again being rated one of the best performing councils in England and best in the North East region which has in the words of the Audit Commission `significantly improved outcomes for local people, achieving one of the best levels of improvement in England...services for young people are outstanding, including for vulnerable children'; and calls on the Government to investigate why the formula for the distribution of local government grant, far from rewarding success, continually results in Gateshead receiving one of the lowest settlements in England.