The cookie has finally crumbled for hungry politicians who were munching their way through biscuits at meetings.

The Argus revealed last year how taxpayers were forking out up to £14 for plates of nibbles at Brighton and Hove City Council's committee sessions.

From April, peckish councillors will have to provide their own packed lunches if they fancy a snack during debates.

The decision is part of cuts that follow a shake-up of the companies which provide services for the city.

For the past eight years civic caterer Ecovert, now EML, charged 50p per councillor for ordinary biscuits and 55p for luxury brands. Water cost £2.80 a bottle and orange juice was £3.50 a litre.

Councillors on the policy committee decided to award the contract to YES Dining (London).

Under the terms of the new deal mineral water is replaced with tap water.

Finance councillor Simon Burgess said: "People always have the option of bringing their own biscuits."

The council is trying to fill an £18 million hole in its budget.

Council tax bills are expected to make another double-figure leap this year and cuts are being proposed to services.

Coun Burgess initiated the review of the civic catering contract after becoming concerned about aspects of it, including the high cost of biscuits.

The contract also includes catering at council outlets, including the staff canteen at King's House, the authority's headquarters in Hove.

Green group convenor Keith Taylor said: "We can't afford to be profligate with other people's money.

"We need to get value for money. There is no point in paying for expensive biscuits or bottles of water."

Catering at the Royal Pavilion's Queen Adelaide tea room will be carried out in-house but councillors are keen to invite a local firm to take it over eventually.

A third catering contract at the Brighton Centre will be awarded to Crown Venue Catering.

Coun Burgess said people would see the benefit of that when the cost of a pint of beer went down from £3 to £2.70.

Councillors have decided to award a contract for maintaining green spaces across the city to an in-house team.

The five-year contract includes the care and maintenance of all city parks, schools and council housing estate grounds, museum gardens, cemeteries and highway verges.

Currently grounds maintenance in Hove is carried out by an in-house team, but in Brighton the service is contracted out to EML.

EML did not submit bids for any new contracts.

It is likely a substantial number of EML's existing employees will be transferred to the council under national regulations.