§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have been made to the Barnett Formula with regard to the updating of population statistics; and when he expects the Barnett Formula to equalise spending per head between England and Scotland. [151762]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Barnett formula is updated periodically to take account of population estimates produced by the Office for National Statistics. As set out in the Statement of Funding Policy, the latest mid-year estimates are used; the ONS published mid-year estimates for 2002 in September 2003. Spending plans for Scotland were published in the "2002 Spending Review: New Public Spending Plans 2003–06" (Cm 5570, July 2002) and plans for the 2004 spending review period will be published later this year.
§ Mr. LawsTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish for each year from 1998–99 to 2005–06 a table showing the levels of expenditure in England comparable to that expenditure in(a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales that is both within the assigned budget and within the scope of the Barnett formula, at the same level of programme detail as is provided in the analysis of 2002–03 provision in Annex C of the third edition of Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly: A Statement of Funding Policy. [152446]
§ Mr. BoatengThe Barnett formula is used to determine increases in spending of the devolved Administrations, rather than the previous levels of spending in England or the devolved Administrations. Information on subprogrammes for earlier years was published in Annex C of the first and second editions of the Statement of Funding Policy in 1999 and 2000.
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