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03/11
David Cameron says Wales not unfairly treated in cuts
David Cameron accompanied by Tory assembly leader Nick Bourne Following the announcement of the Yes vote on Friday, the UK government has said it will examine the way Wales is funded.
The assembly government has been pressing for reform of the 30-year-old Barnett formula which is used by the Treasury to set the size of its budget.
Chancellor George Osborne told the conference on Saturday the government would look at the financing arrangements and a so-called funding “floor” to protect the assembly’s budget from fluctuations in public spending.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg this weekend raised the possibility of the assembly getting tax-varying powers.
In his speech, Mr Cameron told Tory activists that theirs was the only party promising to protect the NHS in Wales.
The Tories want Wales’ health budget to continue to rise in line with inflation, claiming an assembly government decision to freeze funding for the NHS in cash terms amounts to a cut.
But the Conservatives’ opponents say the move would force bigger cuts in other areas.
Shadow health minister in the assembly, Nick Ramsay, said: “The NHS is the number one priority of the people of this country. And let there be no doubt, it’s my number one priority too.”