Letter: Shropshire Star (not one of mine)

Formula is storing up various problems

Stuart Parr (Letters, March 4) makes some interesting points regarding the Barnett Formula, which has the effect of transferring government money from England to the other British nations.

This happens not only with the NHS but with care for the elderly and in higher education.

There is also evidence to suggest that public transport in Scotland is being subsidised at the expense of that of the rest of the country.

Our Minister of Transport, needless to add, represents a Scottish constituency.

I can't help feeling that as with so many other policies, the present Government has never really thought through the implications of settingup semi-autonomous assemblies in Wales and Scotland.

Already we are seeing a drop in applications to English universities as more students seek to attend Scottish ones where top-up fees are not levied.

Old people likely to need residential care are moving away from England to take advantage of the better deals on offer elsewhere in Britain.

As long as the differential increases between the benefits offered in England and those in the rest of Great Britain, the greater the emigration will be from England to where the benefits are better.

Not only will this put extra pressure on the education, health and social services of Wales and Scotland but it will tend to push property prices and rents even higher than they would otherwise be, pricing local people out of the market.

David Burton
Telford