However, in an interim decision that is being closely watched by the caring community, a high court judge ruled last month that Birmingham council's care-cutting business plan is unlawful.

In an interim decision this spring, three other judges on the court had strongly supported Judge Dalzell's findings and conclusions.

As in St Helens, this was an interim decision to allow the borough's housing programme to progress.

The Select Committee produced two sets of interim decisions and a final report, dealing with those petitions where they thought that further action should be taken.

While the trade decision was called interim, with the final report expected next month, it is rare for an interim decision to be reversed.

-We have come to an interim decision, he said.

The Select Committee announced an interim decision in July 2006 which called on the promoter to add a station at Woolwich.

The interim decision of 5 March 2003 nevertheless remains in force, under which European airlines are permitted to transfer personal data on their passengers to the US authorities.

It is an unfortunate interim decision, and if we had won, they would have appealed.

Evidently interim decisions could be made by the Pope, which ultimately needed to be ratified using an assembly of the people, which met once a year.