WARRINGTON Borough Council's level of debt has been questioned in Parliament by an MP.

Conservative MP for Warrington South, Andy Carter, raised a question in the House of Commons yesterday, Monday, regarding the council's debt.

Mr Carter was asking the question of the local government minister, Simon Hoare MP.

He opened his remarks by explaining that taxpayers in Warrington are concerned by the council's level of debt, and that they 'expect high levels of governance and transparency when councillors are using public money to invest in commercial businesses, which carries high levels of risk.'

The Tory MP then asked: "Does the minister agree with me that the decision by Labour-run Warrington Borough Council to reduce the number of opposition councillors on their audit committee flies in the face of good governance, and questions need to be asked about how they're managing their £1.8billion debt?"

Responding to the Warrington South MP, the local government minister said: "I recognise the concerns regarding Warrington's debt, and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act, of course, provides new powers for the Government to step in and take action to protect the public purse.

"I would say to my honourable friend that my experience is where important roles of scrutiny chairmanships are held by opposition parties.

"Those who are taking the decisions take better decisions, and the scrutiny is much better as a result."