Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Elfyn Llwyd Excerpts
Tuesday 8th January 2013

(11 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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As the hon. Gentleman may know, back in October the Chief Secretary to the Treasury made it clear that we would work with the Welsh Administration to look at the convergence or, as is the case at the moment, divergence of funding in Wales and elsewhere in the United Kingdom. We have also made it clear that while there is a legitimate debate around the future of the Barnett formula, our priority remains the stabilisation of the public finances.

Elfyn Llwyd Portrait Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)
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Given the need for change, supported by all parties on the Silk commission, and the Deputy Prime Minister’s enthusiasm, together with that of his party, will he make every effort to ensure that part 1 of Silk is legislated on during this Parliament?

Nick Clegg Portrait The Deputy Prime Minister
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As I said, we all need to take a careful look at part 1 and take a collective decision within the coalition Government on how we respond to it. As Ministers in all parts of the coalition have said, it is an extremely thorough and thoughtful piece of work representing a cross-party approach in Wales, and we will respond to it with similar seriousness before the spring of this year.