Lord Barnett Warns of Serious Problems

Yesterday, during a Lords debate on Northern Ireland, Lord Shutt of Greetland informed the Lords that "the Government have no plans to review the Barnett formula until the fiscal stabilisation plans set out in the Budget have been worked through. However, that report [Lords' Barnett Formula Select Committee] is still valid and will be considered at the due time." To which Lord Barnett responded:

My Lords, the noble Lord said that the very important report of the Select Committee on the Barnett Formula would be considered in due time. Would he care to define the meaning of “due time”? Does he appreciate that the Chancellor has just announced that in the autumn there will be departmental cuts in public expenditure of some 25 per cent? Does the noble Lord recognise that if this is not noted and taken care of, there will be very serious problems in England?

Lord Shutt (who stood for election seven times but was never elected as an MP) was pressed for an answer as to what he meant by "due time" and he had to confess that he had absolutely no idea.