Lord Roberts of Conwy
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Wales: Barnett Formula
Lord Roberts of Conwy Excerpts(12 years, 6 months ago)
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Lord Sassoon
My Lords, we are straying a bit from Wales, but I am very happy to talk about Scotland. Of course, we recently passed through this House the new Scotland Bill, now an Act, which made some very significant changes resulting from the Calman commission recommendations. In respect of the eponymous formula of the noble Lord, Lord Barnett, the difficulty that we have among others is that there is no consensus across the UK on what could replace it. Since 1978, it has stood the test of time, and it is very difficult to find a better basis.
Lord Roberts of Conwy
Would my noble friend agree that ideally what is required is a formula that is adaptable to the special needs of Wales, Scotland and other national regions?
Lord Sassoon
Yes, indeed, I would agree with my noble friend that that should be the objective of any replacement for the formula.