| 释义 |
Barnett formula
A non-statutory mechanism used by the UK government to determine the amount of public expenditure to be allocated to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Introduced in 1978, it was originally intended as a temporary solution to the question but has remained in use ever since. If new money is announced by the UK government, the Barnett formula is applied to work out each country’s share of that money. It is then for the devolved governments to choose how to use the money, subject to the approval of their elected bodies. The Barnett formula takes the previous year’s budget as a starting point and adjusts it on the basis of increases or decreases in comparable spending per person in England. For example, if spending on healthcare in England increased by £100 million, the Scottish government’s budget would increase by £9.7 million, since Scotland’s population is 9.7% of England’s. As the devolved block grants are not ring-fenced, the devolved administration would be free to spend the additional money on services other than healthcare. In 2019–20 overall identifiable spending per person in Northern Ireland was 29% above that of England; in Scotland 18% above that of England; and in Wales 15% above that of England. |