By email to [email address]

Stephen Wolstenholme

Acting Divisional Manager

Rail Support and Communications Division

Department for Transport

76 Marsham Street

London

SW1P 4DR

Direct Line: 020 7944 8317

[email address]

Web Site: www.dft.gov.uk

Your ref: 17495-9a769154

Our ref: F0005679

28 September 2009

Dear Mr Jones

I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information confirming what payments, if any, would be made to the devolved regions of the UK as a result of applying the Barnett formula to the cost of building the proposed Scotland to London High Speed Rail link. I apologise for the fact that we have been unable to provide a full response within 20 working days.

I am writing to advise you that the information you requested is not held by this Department.

You may nevertheless find it helpful to know that under the Barnett formula, Scotland receives a population based proportion of changes in planned spending on comparable United Kingdom Government services in England. Changes in the Scottish Executive's spending allocation is determined by the quantity of the change in planned spending in departments of the UK Government, the extent to which the relevant UK programme is comparable with the services carried out by the Scottish Executive and Scotland's population proportion. The formula applies only to changes in spending plans, not to the underlying baselines which remain unaffected. 

These principles concern the determination of changes to the block budgets under the control of the Scottish Parliament and the National Assembly for Wales, not the level of Westminster grant to support these budgets. The latter may also be affected by changes in the level of self-financed items of expenditure - local authority capital expenditure funded by borrowing, for example - which currently count towards the lock Budgets. The formula also applies only to changes in the block budgets: expenditure outside the block budget is settled separately. The Barnett formula is not applied to all public expenditure, but it remains a default option unless other decisions are made.

The information you requested is not held by the Department for various reasons. For example, although you have quoted an assumed completion cost, we do not know the quantity of the change in planned spending by the Department of Transport which would arise from a decision on a new High Speed Line. Nor have we any recorded information, opinion or judgement on the matter of comparability. The decision on the extent to which the relevant UK programme is comparable with the services carried out by the Scottish Executive is a matter for HM Treasury, who are responsible for the Barnett Formula. We note that the construction and operation of new lines within Scotland is a devolved matter.

If you are unhappy with the way the Department has handled your request or with the decisions made in relation to your request you may complain within two calendar months of the date of this letter by writing to the Department's Information Rights Unit at:

Zone D/04

Ashdown House

Sedlescombe Road North

Hastings

East Sussex TN37 7GA

E-mail: [email address].uk   

Please see the attached details of DfT's complaints procedure and your right to complain to the Information Commissioner.from [department] you may ask for an internal review. You should contact [name of official and address] if you wish to complain

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me.

Yours sincerely

Stephen WolstenholmeYour right to complain to DfT and the Information Commissioner

You have the right to complain within two calendar months of the date of this letter about the way in which your request for information was handled and/or about the decision not to disclose all or part of the information requested. In addition a complaint can be made that DfT has not complied with its FOI publication scheme.

Your complaint will be acknowledged and you will be advised of a target date by which to expect a response. Initially your complaint will be re-considered by the official who dealt with your request for information. If, after careful consideration, that official decides that his/her decision was correct, your complaint will automatically be referred to a senior independent official who will conduct a further review. You will be advised of the outcome of your complaint and if a decision is taken to disclose information originally withheld this will be done as soon as possible.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

 Information Commissioner's Office
 Wycliffe House
 Water Lane
 Wilmslow
 Cheshire
 SK9 5AF

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