Line-up for Wales funding commission to be revealed
Former assembly official to lead Welsh funding inquiry
(40 minutes later)
The line-up of a commission into how the Welsh government is funded is expected to be unveiled by the UK government.
A former clerk to the Welsh assembly will lead an inquiry into the way the devolved administration is funded.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan is due to reveal the membership of the inquiry and its terms of reference on Tuesday.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan named Paul Silk as chairman of the commission, promised as part of the Westminster coalition deal between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
It was promised as part of the Westminster coalition deal between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
He will be joined by representatives of the four main parties and two independent members.
Mrs Gillan has called for the Welsh government to be made accountable for the money it spends.
Mrs Gillan said the assembly must be "more accountable".
At present it cannot raise taxes and can only spend what it receives through an annual block grant from the Treasury.
At present the Welsh government cannot raise taxes and can only spend what it receives through an annual block grant from the Treasury.
The Labour Welsh government wants powers to borrow money and control of some taxes, including stamp duty.
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Its main demand is for reform of the Barnett formula, used by the Treasury to set the budgets of the devolved nations. Critics say it short changes Wales.
Owain Clarke, BBC Wales parliamentary correspondent, said the inquiry would be similar to the Calman Commission set up in Scotland to re-examine devolution.
"There will be a particular focus to the work and that's to look at the question of whether or not the Welsh government should take more responsibility for the money it spends," he said.
"That's political code really for considering whether Wales should get some form of tax-varying powers to raise some of its money as well as spending it.
"The Welsh government at the moment gets its budget via a single block grant of about £14.5bn from the Treasury, but in her speech last week to the Tory party conference, Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan made it abundantly clear she wanted to end this culture of something for nothing, the culture of power without responsibility.
"This commission will look at how the Welsh ministers can raise some of their own money and have to justify what they spend to the electorate they raise the money from."
The commission will report next year and will submit a second report on the constitutional settlement in 2013.
On Monday, Welsh government Finance Minister Jane Hutt said she was making "steady progress" in talks with Westminster on funding.
