Along with funding roads, adequate finance must also be provided for local authorities to perform all of their functions and continue to provide good quality services for the public. Local authorities now face increased costs across a spectrum of services. If they are to continue their good work and improve the quality and level of service they provide for the public, they need extra resources. That is the reason we are increasing motor tax rates – the increases have allowed the Government to increase general purpose baseline allocations to local authorities by 6% over and above the 2002 grant levels.