| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Welsh Police Forces (Funding)
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent consultations there have been with the Welsh Local Government Association with regard to the funding of Welsh police forces for 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [70607]
Mr. Michael: The Welsh Local Government Association does not represent police authorities in Wales, consultation on the funding of police forces in England and Wales is a matter between the Home Office and the Association of Police Authorities, but I have recently responded positively to points raised by Welsh Police Authorities about technical calculations on the Welsh Office contribution to their financing.
Standard Spending Assessment
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what agreement was reached with the Welsh Local Government Association via the Consultative Council on the standard spending assessment formula for 1998-99 and 1999-2000; [70606]
- (2) when he agreed with the Welsh Local Government Association not to update the standard spending assessment formula for 1999-2000; what consultations were entered into prior to such agreement; and if he will make a statement. [70605]
Mr. Michael:
At a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 27 October 1997 the Association agreed the SSA formula for 1998-99 and agreed that it would be rolled forward for 1999-2000 other than to reflect data changes. Accordingly the formula for 1999-2000, which was agreed at the Consultative Council on 13 November 1998, has remained unchanged other than to take account of data changes. I have commissioned an
11 Feb 1999 : Column: 398
independent review of the formula in conjunction with the WLGA and following the transfer of powers, these issues will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent consultations there have been with the Welsh Local Government Association with regard to standard spending assessment. [70608]
Mr. Michael:
There is regular contract between my officials and the WLGA on issues regarding local government finance in Wales. I met the Association's representatives in the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 15 December 1998, as part of the statutory consultation on the provisional local government revenue settlement.
Following the transfer of powers, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes are proposed in the allocation of the capital charges element of standard spending assessment between local government and the police authorities in Wales for 1999-2000. [70609]
Mr. Michael:
I have revised the methodology for calculating capital charges following representations made by Police Authorities in Wales when it became clear that the application of a common formula had resulted in a disproportionate and unintended impact on the Welsh Office share of police finances. As a result of the changes:
Mr. Llwyd:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received from the leader of the Welsh Local government Association on the question of the local government finance settlement 1999-2000. [70610]
Mr. Michael:
I received a letter from the leader of the Welsh Local Government Association, Councillor Harry Jones CBE, on 4 February 1999. The letter covered the changes between the provisional and final local government revenue settlement in particular the changes to the way capital charges are treated in the formula. I have replied explaining my decision to Councillor Jones and to the WLGA.
Mr. Barry Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures he is taking to accelerate the provision of central heating in older social housing in Wales. [70919]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones:
It is for individual local authorities to decide on the priority they give to providing central heating from their housing capital programmes.
11 Feb 1999 : Column: 399
Following the transfer of powers, responsibilities in relation to Housing will be a matter for the National Assembly.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what changes he is proposing to make to (a) voted and (b) non-voted cash limits for his Department and the Office of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools in Wales for the current financial year. [71256]
Mr. Michael:
Subject to Parliament's approval of the related Supplementary Estimates, I propose the following changes.
The cash limit on class XIV, vote 1 will be increased by £14,737,000 from £42,735,000 to £57,472,000 as result of an increase in the Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance Scheme announced as part of the Farmers Package on 16 November 1998.
The cash limit on class XIV, vote 2 will be increased by £12,148,000 from £839,776,000 to £851,924,000. This increase results mainly from (a) an increase in the grant in aid of the Welsh Development Agency of £5,161,000 to compensate for receipts which will now be realised during 1999-2000 (b) an increase in the provision for Regional Selective Assistance of £8,775,000 to provide for the latest forecast of claims to be paid this year; (c) the take up of £1,962,000 to fund the Coalfields Regeneration Trust; and (d) a reduction in the Training budgets of £4,000,000 due to lower than expected demand for training courses funded out of Welsh Office budgets.
The cash limit on class XIV, vote 3 will be increased by £55,494,000 from £414,195,000 to £469,689,000. This increase results mainly from (a) an increase in the Central Government Roads programme of £10,000,000 to fund essential maintenance work (b) a transfer of provision for Housing of £51,943,000 from non-cash limited budgets to cash limited provision to effect the merger of Tai Cymru with the Welsh Office from 1 November 1998 (this is offset by a reduction in the non-voted cash limit for Tai Cymru); (c) an increase of £2,100,000 for the North Wales Child Abuse Inquiry; (d) an additional £1,800,000 for the Mental Handicap Strategy (e) £1,000,000 for the Looked After Children Development Fund (f) an increase of £300,000 in the grant in aid for the Wales Tourist Board for additional marketing (f) a reduction of £7,500,000 in the grant in aid for Cardiff Bay Development Corporation because of slippage on the Cardiff Bay Barrage project (g) a reduction of £3,500,000 in the provision for Transport Grant because of slippage on approved projects and (h) a reduction of £1,400,000 in this year's provision for the costs associated with Devolution.
The running costs limit on class XIV, vote 3 will be increased by £2,507,000 from £79,784,000 to £82,291,100 as a result of the merger of Tai Cymru and costs associated with the dissolution of the Welsh Health Common Services Authority.
The cash limit on class XIV, vote 4 will be increased by £12,705,000 from £2,116,930,000 to £2,129,635,000 mainly as a result of the Winter Emergencies money for the National Health Service announced in November and a transfer of £211,000 from class XI, vote 1 in respect of
11 Feb 1999 : Column: 400
Professions Allied to Medicine. The external financing limit for NHS Trusts will be reduced by £3,006,000 from £52,676,000 to £49,670,000.
The cash limit on class XIV, vote 6 will be increased by £1,125,000 from £7,768,000 to £8,893,000 as a result of payments due this year for VAT.
There will be an increase in the non-voted local authority capital cash limit (WO/LACAP) of £4,200,000 from £373,444,000 to £377,644,000 to allow for an increase in the provision for Housing Renovation Grants.
The non-voted housing cash limit WO/TC has been wound-up as a result of the merger of Tai Cymru with the Welsh Office on 1 November 1998. The remaining provision has been transferred to the cash limit on class XIV, vote 3.
The increases will be offset by transfers or charges to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the overall level of planned public expenditure.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the items sold by his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies from those listed in the National Assets Register of November 1997; if he will give in each case the amount of money realised; if he will estimate the total cash raised from such sales to date; and if he will make a statement. [70407]
Mr. Michael:
The items sold during 1997-98 by the Welsh Office and Cadw, its sole Executive Agency, from those listed in the National Asset Register were:
the formula now ignores interest receipts in the capital charges model for both police authorities and local authorities in Wales;
for the police, the allowance for Capital Expenditure from the Revenue Account (CERA) has been removed. CERA was removed for councils in 1998-99, and this change means that both tiers are being treated equally;
for the police, the assumption about repayment of loan debt principle has been reduced from 7 per cent. to 4 per cent. for 1999-2000. Again this means that both tiers are being treated equally.
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Welsh Office | |
| Land Rover (Plant and Machinery) | 2 |
| Cadw | |
| Cottage (Land and Buildings) | 39 |
| Miscellaneous mowers and dumpers (Plant and Machinery) | 5 |
| Total cash raised (Welsh Office and Cadw) | 46 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |