§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the extra cash totals under the Comprehensive Spending Review for the(a) NHS, (b) education and (c) transport; and if he will make a statement. [132382]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have discussed the spending review with the First Secretary on a number of occasions, and he welcomes the outcome as much as I do.
The increase for Wales resulting from extra spending in England announced in the spending review is:
£ million 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 Health 163 458 728 Education1 78 183 290 Transport 40 94 163 1 Excluding Welsh increases as a result of increases in education funding for local government in England The Assembly has the freedom to make its own spending decisions about the use of these extra resources in response to Welsh priorities, and this settlement will make a huge difference to the services it provides.