Every attempt by local government to evade central spending restrictions has been met by a new rule to make evasion more difficult.

Officials say the spending restrictions have been applied only to the schools and libraries and to relatively small rural health care programs.

The campaign made an important decision last November when it declined public financing and the spending restrictions that come with it.

Barnes himself did not support the program, and most school boards rejected it because of the spending restrictions.

Pentagon budget officials have said that extra costs resulting from unusual spending restrictions are seen first in the area of contracts.

Most of the new spending restrictions "are not savings," he said.

And even with some spending restrictions imposed this year, a $2.2 billion gap remains in the budget that ends March 31.

But the spending restrictions approved today are far less stringent than those called for by the Senate.

Due to the current crisis and the drastic public spending restrictions, Member States are finding it increasingly difficult to record economic growth.

Labour councillors have already pointed out that spending restrictions imposed by the Government will mean crucial services could be cut back.