HC Deb 18 March 1996 vol 274 cc9-10
8. Mr. Jacques Arnold

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent representations he has received on the cost of a Welsh Assembly. [19380]

Mr. Hague

None.

Mr. Arnold

I find that answer quite extraordinary. Surely the matter of cost must be quite considerable if we are to have another layer of politicians, bureaucrats and the like. Given that the proponents of a Welsh Assembly propose no taxation by that assembly, how is it to be paid for? Will it be by reducing the amount of money going into Welsh education, the Welsh health service or other important Welsh services? The Opposition cannot have it both ways.

Mr. Hague

My hon. Friend is right: it is extraordinary. We are waiting for representations from Labour Members about the cost of a Welsh Assembly, about which they have been asked but on which they refuse to comment. Such an assembly would be likely to cost £28 million a year, after the initial £52 million in the first year. The Government could build a district general hospital or two large schools every year with that amount of money. That tells us something about the Labour party's priorities for Wales.

Mr. Donald Anderson

Is it not more extraordinary that hon. Members representing English seats are ever ready to lecture us—with their limited knowledge of Wales—about the costs of this exercise in democracy? At the same time, they are ready, for example, to swallow without criticism the cost of rail privatisation—in its run-up it will cost over £1 billion a year and thereafter it will cost £850 million a year—but they pour criticism on Wales and the experiment in democracy.

Mr. Hague

Members from English constituencies, including the hon. Members for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane), for Thurrock (Mr. Mackinlay) and for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), are welcome to take part in our proceedings at Welsh Question Time. We do not criticise that, but it is time that those who advocate a Welsh Assembly tried at least to be specific about the cost—and there would be a cost. It would be additional to the cost of everything else that Government in Wales are doing and it would be a cost that, as I have said, would be at least the equivalent of a district general hospital each year.