	british french ministers discuss public spending french finance minister edouard balladur discussed the need to control public spending in talks here today with british chancellor of the exchequer nigel lawson a treasury spokesman said the spokesman said the ministers reviewed their economies and public spending domestic and european community wide he declined to comment on whether the subject of concerted action to shore up the dollar had arisen the u s currency dipped sharply earlier this week after a month of relative stability after an agreement by six major industrialised nations in paris on february to stabilise their currencies reuter 
