Rate Support and Other Grants

Part of Orders of the Day — Wales Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 5 April 1978.

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Photo of Mr Dafydd Elis Thomas Mr Dafydd Elis Thomas , Merioneth 12:00, 5 April 1978

We have had two interesting and contradictory speeches from successive hon. Members. The hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Temple-Morris) expressed deep concern that the Welsh Assembly arrangements by which it will take over the functions of the Secretary of State for rate support grant will ensure an increase in the resources available to Welsh local authorities compared with his own border area. Earlier the hon. Member for Aberdare (Mr. Evans), raising bogeys as always, expressed deep concern that somehow the changes proposed in Clause 60 would result in lower rate support grant resources being made available to Welsh local authorities.

The hon. Member for Leominster read his brief from the Welsh counties that take the same view as he about this clause. However, the hon. Member did not explain sufficiently clearly the way in which the present system operates and the differences that will result from the clause.

I welcome the clause, regardless of the Bill in which it is contained, because it is a step forward in the way in which we allocate resources to Wales.