As part of that, local authorities were asked to provide by 28 February formal assurances that their approved 2011-12 budgets included provision to deliver on all the specified commitments in the 2010 spending review agreement, including freezing council tax levels for a fourth consecutive year; maintaining record levels of front-line police officers to help to keep our communities safe; maintaining the commitment to implement the early years framework and curriculum for excellence, to help to ensure that our children receive the best possible education; maintaining pupil teacher ratios in primary 1 to 3; and delivering a new change fund to help to alleviate pressure on the health and social care system and to identify and deliver new ways of working to improve outcomes in those fields.On 1 March...