The Distribution Sub-group

27 April 2022

Dear

ATISN 16258: The Distribution Sub-group

Thank you for your request for information which I received on 19 April 2022 regarding:

i) the number of meetings held in each calendar year from 2011 to 2021 (or from whenever the entity in question was created or established until 2021, if later); and

ii) the cost in maintaining the same, again broken down by calendar year and over the same period.

The Distribution Sub-group (DSG) is not a public body, but rather a working group of the Finance Sub Group of the Partnership Council for Wales.  (For completeness, the Partnership Council is not a public body).  The purpose of the DSG is to maintain and develop a fair and accurate ‘funding formula’ for distributing the Local Government Revenue Settlement.  This process distributes the significant unhypothecated funding for local government in Wales – for 2022-2023 the formula distributes over £5bn.

There have been 63 meetings between 2011 and 2021.  Please see below for a table detailing number of meetings by year.

Year              Number of meetings of the DSG in year

2011                                        6
2012                                        7
2013                                        7
2014                                        6
2015                                        5
2016                                        6
2017                                        6
2018                                        6
2019                                        4
2020                                        5
2021                                        5
 

DSG members are not paid, and separate costs are therefore limited to expenditure when required on refreshments.  When meetings were held physically, refreshments were normally restricted to tea/ coffee/ biscuits.  Where meetings were held in the Welsh Government, these costs are not held in a way which can be disaggregated for the period requested except at disproportionate cost.  Where meetings were held in offices of local authorities or the WLGA, costs of such refreshments are not held by Welsh Government.  The secretariat is provided by members of the Local Government Finance Policy team and time spent is not logged.

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response.  Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit,
Welsh Government,
Cathays Park,
Cardiff,
CF10 3NQ

or Email: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales.

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF.

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely