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Government of Wales Bill

It may not test my advisers but it certainly tests me. If I do not get the answer to that extremely interesting question I will write to the noble Lord. As we heard, the amendment considerably reduces the overall borrowing limit from £500 million to £100 million. The present £500 million limit amounts to just 3.8 per cent of the Assembly’s budget. The £100 million limit proposed in the amendment would amount to a tiny 0.7 per cent of the Assembly’s budget. We feel that the current limit is reasonable and proportional and is the same as the limit set by the current Government of Wales Act 1998. The Government believe that the express provisions in the Bill for Welsh Ministers to borrow from the Secretary of State to cover a short-term deficit in the Welsh Consolidated Fund or to provide a working balance within that fund are very important. It is envisaged that such borrowing might be necessary in the event of a natural disaster or civil emergency. The noble Baroness may be reassured to hear that such powers also exist in the Scotland Act 1998 but have never yet been used in either Wales or Scotland. There is also a provision that this limit can be increased by the Secretary of State by order provided that the Treasury gives its consent. Any order would be subject to affirmative procedure in the House of Commons, thus preserving the principle that the House should control the supply of money to the executive. The noble Baroness asked two rather technical questions to which I am afraid I do not have the answers. I will be very happy to write to her on those. On the amount outstanding on the bridge, the noble Lord, Lord Crickhowell, will be delighted to receive the precise answer of £1.4 million.