§ 12. Mr. George OsborneTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will set a date for the referendum on regional government in the north-west. [152492]
§ The Deputy Prime MinisterThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to hold the referendums in the three northern regions in autumn 2004.
But before a date can be set:
- The Boundary Committee must make its recommendations on restructuring local government in two-tier areas; and
- Parliament must approve the Orders calling the referendums.
We expect to lay these in Summer.
§ 13. Mr. LuffTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will meet a delegation from Worcestershire to discuss the report by Professor David Blanchflower and Professor Andrew Oswald on the calculation of an appropriate regional funding adjustment for the county. [152493]
§ Mr. RaynsfordNo. During the formula review, which was completed in 2002 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister looked in some detail at the different geographies, data and methods that could be used to calculate the ACA. Several of the options advocated by Professors Oswald and Blanchflower in their report were examined and rejected during the formula review.
921WThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister considered the Oswold and Blanchflower report as part of the written representations received on the local government settlement for 2004–05. However, as we made clear following the recent review it is our intention that the funding formulae will be frozen for at least 2004–05 and 2005–06. There would therefore be little purpose in the suggested meeting.