Instead of rushing out spending towards the end of a year to ensure a departmental budget was fully spent, the money was now being used on priorities.

Mr Page has been driven close to resignation by cuts to his departmental budget.

The budget will also set the scene for the savage departmental budget cuts to be announced in the autumn.

It met twice a year to discuss and vote the departmental budget, which it did, often after ritualistic grumbling and symbolic resistance.