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Welsh Affairs

No doubt the Under-Secretary of State will devote a large proportion of his speech to the Barnett formula. Because of the geography and demography of Wales, its public services are more expensive to deliver. As a number of Members have pointed out, the country still suffers from a legacy of ill health stemming from its industrial past. The position is simple: Wales has greater needs, and they will continue to be ignored and neglected for as long as the Government continue to use the discredited Barnett formula. It has short-changed Wales for ages, as even its creator Lord Barnett now recognises. We must draw a line under that old, backward-looking funding system, and look forward to a progressive and fair system that takes account of the needs of Wales. In fact, I believe that the Prime Minister is already turning his back on the Barnett formula. The Big Lottery Fund now uses a needs-based formula to distribute grants, which gives Wales a much higher level of funding.