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Written Question
Public Expenditure
Friday 9th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to modify the Barnett formula for financial year 2024–25 and subsequent financial years, to reflect the changing needs of (1) Northern Ireland, (2) Scotland, and (3) Wales.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

There are currently no plans to modify the operation of the Barnett formula. The Barnett formula has stood the test of time because it is simple, efficient and provides a clear and certain outcome.

Overall, the devolved administrations’ funding is at least 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the UK.


Written Question
Public Expenditure
Wednesday 7th February 2024

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much finance, other than that provided under the Barnett formula, was made available to (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland, in each of the past three financial years.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The UK Government makes available significant funding across the UK to meet UK-wide policy objectives. The Government spends across the UK on all reserved policy areas (such as national security and the honours system), and provides direct support for people and businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

HM Treasury does not have a single figure to quantify the total level of support provided across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as there are multiple programmes funded by various departments. However, the ONS Country and Regional Analysis publication presents estimates for the allocation of identifiable expenditure between the UK countries and nine English regions.

It is for the devolved administrations to decide how to allocate their funding in devolved areas. The published Statement of Funding policy document sets out how the devolved administrations are funded, including Barnett-based funding and agreed borrowing and tax powers. The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved administrations’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Main Estimates 2023-24. This publication is updated regularly, and the most recent report was published in July 2023.


Written Question
Banks: Closures
Tuesday 19th December 2023

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many branches of (1) Barclays, (2) NatWest, (3) Lloyds Bank, and (4) HSBC, in the UK have closed in 2023 so far; and what were the corresponding figures for 2022.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government does not make assessments of bank branch closures. However, in the event of a closure of a core cash service, for example a bank branch, LINK provides an assessment of a community’s cash access needs. It keeps an updated record of these assessments on its website as part of its overview of branch closures announced by banks since January 2022, alongside any banking hubs or deposit services recommended.

Decisions on opening and closing branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis, with which the Government does not interfere.


Written Question
Public expenditure: Scotland and Wales
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what consequential payments they are making to the Welsh and Scottish Governments under the Barnett formula as a result of their recent announcement of additional funding for the promotion of the game of chess in schools and communities in England.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The funding for promoting chess in schools in England was funded from within existing budgets. As such, there are no additional Barnett consequentials from this decision.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Wales
Tuesday 24th October 2023

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what additional funding they have made available to the Welsh Government over and above the basic budget provision for Wales in the financial year 2023–24; and for what purposes any specific use was stipulated.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

Spending Review 2021 set the largest annual block grant, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts. This provided the Welsh Government with £2.5 billion in 2023-24 through the Barnett formula, on top of their £15.9 billion baseline. They also received over £320 million of ringfenced non-Barnett funding for 2023-24 for farming and fisheries.

On top of this settlement, the Welsh Government have received an additional £745 million through the Barnett formula for 2023-24, largely as a result of decisions made at Autumn Statement 2022 and Spring Budget 2023. They have also received around £450 million in non-Barnett funding for 2023-24 since Spending Review 2021.

It is for the devolved administrations to allocate their Barnett-based funding in devolved areas as they see fit. They can therefore take their own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting their own priorities and local circumstances, and they are accountable to the devolved legislatures for these decisions. Non-Barnett funding is generally ringfenced, meaning it can only be spent for the purpose it was given.

A breakdown of Barnett and non-Barnett funding, including the policy areas for which the non-Barnett funding is ringfenced, can also be found in the Block Grant Transparency publication. This publication is updated regularly, and the most recent report was published in July 2023.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Wales
Friday 22nd September 2023

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether Barnett consequential payments will be made to the Welsh Government arising from additional expenditure in England in the education sector on safeguarding buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

As our immediate support is being funded from existing unallocated budgets there will be no additional Barnett consequentials. The devolved administrations have already received funding through the Barnett formula at Spending Review 2021.

We are committed to working collaboratively with our devolved administration counterparts on this issue, and the Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way to any change in UK Government departmental budgets.


Written Question
Crown Estate Commissioners: Wales
Monday 22nd May 2023

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to transfer responsibility for the Crown Estate in Wales, including the coastline and seabed, to Senedd Cymru.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

The Crown Estate has played a significant role in attracting international investment into Wales to support the UK’s net zero target and will continue to do so through future leasing rounds for offshore wind developments, including floating wind projects in the Celtic Sea. They work closely with Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales in support of shared priorities, ensuring that these resources are sustainably managed for the long term.

Introducing a new entity would fragment the market, complicate existing processes, and likely delay further development offshore, undermining investment in Welsh waters.

Therefore, the government is not planning to transfer responsibility of the Crown Estate to Senedd Cymru.


Written Question
Public Expenditure
Tuesday 28th March 2023

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what will be the Barnett Consequential Financial Provision for (1) Scotland, (2) Northern Ireland, and (3) Wales, as a result of their expenditure on the HS2 railway project in England.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

Spending on HS2 contributes to the Barnett consequentials generated from changes in the Department for Transport’s settlement. The Block Grant Transparency publication which is available on GOV.UK sets out all Barnett consequentials generated at both departmental and programme level.


Written Question
Public Expenditure: Wales
Tuesday 24th May 2022

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have received from the Welsh Government concerning the financial settlement for 2022–23 in meeting the statutory responsibilities of that government to provide public services in Wales.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

Spending Review 2021 set the largest annual block grants, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since the devolution Acts in 1998. The Welsh Government is receiving an average of £2.5bn per year through the Barnett formula on top of £15.9bn annual baseline, enabling further investment across Wales in areas such as schools, housing, transport, health and social care. This also means the Welsh Government’s funding per person is around 20% higher than equivalent UK Government funding in England.

It is for the Welsh Government to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit. The Welsh Government will take their own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting their priorities and local circumstances, and they are accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

The Welsh Government and HM Treasury maintain a regular dialogue throughout the year giving the Welsh Government opportunity to discuss any issues related to the financial settlement for 2022-23.


Written Question
Public Expenditure
Thursday 21st April 2022

Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their intended additional expenditure on (1) bus, and (2) rail, transport in England, will generate Barnett consequential provision for (a) Wales, and (b) Scotland; and if so, what are these respective sums.

Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)

Barnett consequentials will be confirmed through the main estimates process in the coming weeks.