AQW 7130/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Finance
To ask the Minister of Finance for her assessment of the obligations, set out in the recent deal with the UK government, on the Executive to raise revenue to help pay for public services
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 21 February 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 21 February 2024
- Answer due by
- 7 March 2024
- Answered
- 28 February 20247 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Finance
- Priority question
- No
Answer
ANSWER
The financial package which accompanied the return of the Executive, while welcome, does not put the Executive’s finances on a sustainable footing. The Executive is committed to delivering sustainable public services. A pre-requisite of that must be that the right level of funding is provided.
I have a number of significant concerns in relation to the financial package, not least the conditions attached to the write -off of the £559 million provided in the package for ‘debts’.
My view is that these ‘debts’ only arose due to the underfunding of our public services. To make this funding repayable unless the Executive raises a £113 million through locally generated revenue in 2024-25 is unacceptable.
I am meeting the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 28 February to discuss my concerns.