Government of Wales Act 1998

Payments to Assembly etc.

80 Grants to Assembly

(1) The Secretary of State shall from time to time make payments to the Assembly out of money provided by Parliament of such amounts as he may determine.

(2) Any Minister of the Crown, and any government department, may make to the Assembly payments of such amounts as the Minister or department may determine.

81 Statement of estimated payments etc

(1) The Secretary of State shall for each financial year make a written statement showing—

(a) the total amount of the payments which he estimates will be made by him for that financial year under section 80(1),

(b) the total amount of any other payments which he estimates will be made to the Assembly for that financial year by Ministers of the Crown and government departments, and

(c) the total amount of the payments which he estimates will be made to the Assembly for that financial year otherwise than by a Minister of the Crown or government department.

(2) The statement shall also—

(a) show the total amount of any basic credit approvals which the Secretary of State estimates will be issued by the Assembly for that financial year under section 53 of the [1989 c. 42.] Local Government and Housing Act 1989, and

(b) include such other information as the Secretary of State considers appropriate (including, in particular, information relating to amounts of any supplementary credit approvals which he estimates have been, or are to be, issued by the Assembly under section 54 of that Act).

(3) The statement shall also show the total amount which the Secretary of State for Wales proposes to expend for that financial year out of money provided by Parliament otherwise than on making payments to the Assembly.

(4) The statement shall include details of how the total amounts referred to in subsections (1)(a), (b) and (c), (2)(a) and (3) have been arrived at.

(5) The statement for each financial year after the first financial year of the Assembly shall be made no later than four months before the beginning of the financial year; and the statement for the first financial year of the Assembly shall be made as soon as is reasonably practicable.

(6) The Secretary of State shall lay before the Assembly any statement made under this section.

82 Loans to Assembly by Secretary of State

(1) The Secretary of State may from time to time lend to the Assembly such sums as it appears to the Assembly are required for the purpose of—

(a) meeting a temporary excess of expenditure by the Assembly over its receipts, or

(b) providing the Assembly with a working balance.

(2) The Treasury may issue to the Secretary of State out of the National Loans Fund such sums as he needs for making loans under this section.

(3) Any loans which the Secretary of State makes under this section shall be repaid to him at such times, and interest on them shall be paid to him at such rates and at such times, as the Treasury from time to time determine.

(4) Sums received by the Secretary of State under subsection (3) shall be paid into the National Loans Fund.

(5) The aggregate outstanding in respect of the principal of loans made under this section shall not exceed £500 million.

(6) The Secretary of State may from time to time by order made with the consent of the Treasury substitute for the amount specified in subsection (5) such greater amount as is specified in the order.

83 Accounts relating to loans under section 82

(1) The Secretary of State shall for each financial year prepare accounts in such form and manner as the Treasury may direct of—

(a) loans made by him under section 82, and

(b) repayments and payments of interest made to him under that section.

(2) The Secretary of State shall send accounts under subsection (1) relating to a financial year to the Comptroller and Auditor General no later than five months after the end of the financial year.

(3) The Comptroller and Auditor General shall—

(a) examine, certify and report on accounts sent to him under subsection (2), and

(b) lay copies of the accounts, together with his report, before each House of Parliament.

84 Destination of receipts etc

(1) Sums received by the Assembly shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund (but subject as follows).

(2) Sums received by the Assembly—

(a) under section 80 or 82, or

(b) under any other provision of this Act or any other enactment for the making of payments or loans to the Assembly by a Minister of the Crown or a government department,

are not required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

(3) Sums received by the Assembly—

(a) under section 54 of the [1988 c. 41.] Local Government Finance Act 1988 (central rating),

(b) under section 59 of that Act (contributions in respect of Crown hereditaments), or

(c) under paragraph 5 of Schedule 8 to that Act or regulations under sub-paragraph (15) of that paragraph (non-domestic rating contributions),

are not required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

(4) Sums received by the Assembly shall not be paid into the Consolidated Fund if they are required by any provision of this Act or any other enactment to be dealt with in some other way.

(5) Sums received by the Assembly are not required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund if they are authorised (but not required) by any provision of this Act or any other enactment to be dealt with in some other way (and are so dealt with).

(6) The Treasury may direct that sums received by the Assembly which are, or are of a description, specified in the direction are not required to be paid into the Consolidated Fund.