Lincolnshire councils must tighten their belts as they will not be getting any extra  cash from the Government.

Local Government Minister John Healey told the Echo  he will not consider more funding for the county and  that local councils  need to be more efficient.

In May the Echo's Fair Deal for Lincolnshire campaign highlighted how councils, hospitals and the police force were missing out on £23m of Government cash this year.

But today Mr Healey categorically denied this was the case, adding that the county council has been given an extra £38m this year.

He went on to say  the onus is on councils to be more efficient and use the available cash more wisely.

Mr Healey justified capping Lincolnshire Police Authority's 79 per cent increase in its share of the council tax precept earlier this year by saying it was initially set at an "unreasonably high level".

And on the subject of work not starting on the Lincoln Eastern bypass until at least 2015, he practically accused Lincolnshire of not shouting loud enough as it competes with neighbouring authorities for money for major road projects.

 Lincolnshire County Council leader Coun Martin Hill said Lincolnshire loses out because of the high cost of providing services to a sparsely populated rural area.

"We will continue to support the Echo's campaign as the case for increased funding has not gone away and is made even more acute by the current financial and economic downturn," he said.

For the full answers given by John Healey, see Friday's Echo