Scrap Barnett formula and Wales Office, say experts

The Treasury has used the Barnett formula to allocate funding since the late 1970s

The system the UK Treasury uses to allocate funding to the Welsh government should be scrapped, a panel of experts has concluded.

The Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law's report says the Barnett formula does not ensure "equity" across the UK.

The document also recommends the Wales Office should be abolished.

The review suggests rolling it into a UK government department "for the Union", along with the Scotland and Northern Ireland Offices.

Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to maintain the Barnett formula, which is more generous to Scotland, but has also vowed to ensure "fair funding" for Wales.

The report, 'A Constitutional Crossroads: Ways Forward for the United Kingdom', is based on the work of a commission whose members included the leading economist Gerry Holtham, devolution expert Alan Trench and Tony Travers from the London School of Economics.