Can public services bear more austerity?

All this week we've been hearing about the challenges facing the Chancellor as he prepares for the spending review that will spell out how much cash government departments have for the next four years.

We've heard warnings from workers in councils, in health, in education and in the police service that more cuts could cause profound damage.

But as Ross Hawkins reports ministers though have a ready response to that: they heard much the same back in 2010 and five years on, the worst forecasts have not been realised.