Brighton and Hove City Council is making progress in reducing the huge financial deficit expected in March.

But it looks as if the hard-pressed taxpayers face an inflation-busting rise in charges while the council implements cuts and savings. There's no doubt some savings are overdue as waste and duplication are eradicated. But most council officers are working hard and the temporary freeze on vacancies cannot continue forever.

The council is making progress in reducing the cost of caring for homeless families, the single biggest cause of overspending. It is finding more imaginative and permanent ways of housing them than bed and breakfast housing.

But it needs help from the Government in tackling the causes of the problem, which include the provision of more low-cost housing and housing benefits which match rents. Without that, the problem will increase, causing more misery.