SIR Michael Spicer has taken up the fight to get a fairer deal from the Government for Malvern Hills District Council.

The West Worcestershire MP has called for a meeting with Local Government Secretary Stephen Byers and a delegation from Malvern, as soon as possible.

Sir Michael's action comes after the council's deputy leader, Paul Cumming, raised serious concerns about the financial plight of MHDC.

The council has received a 2.1 per cent rise in Government grants over the last four years, compared with a rise of 9.3 per cent in the Retail Price Index.

To stay in line with RPI, the grant for 2002/03 would be £300,000 higher than the £4,197,000 announced last week - equivalent to 11 per cent of the district's Council Tax.

But because of a "notional accounting adjustment" made by the Government, the increase next year would be 0.5 per cent instead of the expected 2.3 per cent, said Coun Cumming.

As a result, the district faces a choice between real cuts in services or substantial rises in Council Tax, following a hefty 27 per cent increase this year.

It was intolerable to expect the residents of Malvern Hills to continue to bear the situation any longer, said Coun Cumming, in a letter to Sir Michael.

"Any help you could give in pressing for an improvement in the position, or even an explanation as to why the Government is happy to penalise our area, would be much appreciated," he said.

Sir Michael said the implicit rise in Council Tax was a new form of stealth tax.

By imposing more and more unfunded burdens on local councils, the Government was forcing up taxes for which it could claim not to be responsible, he added.

"It's a cowardly way for the Government to manage the financial affairs of the country," he said.

In a letter to Mr Byers, Sir Michael said the council was unable to bear the consistent cuts imposed since 1998 in the real value of its grant.

"This, as you know, has been accompanied by a stream of increased obligations placed upon the council, such as best value, concessionary fares and responsibility for community plans.

"Together the cuts and the new responsibilities have made it almost impossible for the council to budget within the limits of a reasonable council tax rate."

Sir Michael said he understood similar representations had been made to Mr Byers by the Local Government Association. Coun Cumming welcomed Sir Michael's backing.

"We're having to make major efforts to reduce expenditure when we'd rather be putting money into increasing services," he said.