However, the First Minister told me a fortnight ago in the Parliament:"If an independent review of local government finance is established, I have a duty as First Minister not to prejudice its outcome and I have no intention of doing so."—Official Report, 26 February 2004; c 6079.I had asked the First Minister to express his view on the council tax—the system that he supports—and on whether he would argue for that system in the review of local government finance.