§ Sir Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last made a needs-based assessment of public expenditure levels in Scotland. [149630]
§ Mrs. McGuireMy right hon. Friend has made no such assessment. The details of the funding arrangements were set out in the "Statement of Funding Policy", published by the Treasury in July 2002. The Government have no plans to change the Barnett formula.
§ Sir Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he next plans to conduct a needs-based assessment of public expenditure levels in Scotland; and whether he anticipates that such an assessment would conclude that current levels are(a) higher, (b) lower or (c) the same as current needs. [149631]
§ Mrs. McGuireMy right hon. Friend has no plans to conduct an assessment. The details of the funding arrangements were set out in the "Statement of Funding Policy", published by the Treasury in July 2002. The Government have no plans to change the Barnett formula.