Finance minister unveils 2007-2008 spending plans

The Finance Minister, Rt Hon Peter Robinson MP, MLA will seek Assembly approval today for the detailed expenditure plans for the Northern Ireland Departments and associated bodies for 2007-2008.

In his opening statement to the first stage of the Budget Bill (Northern Ireland) 2007, Mr Robinson told the Assembly that there would be no dramatic changes to the spending plans this year, but that the step change would follow the setting of our own Programme for Government and align the Comprehensive Spending Review to meet its implications.

The Minister said: “While it is not an ideal situation to be carrying forward plans set by the previous administration, it represents the most pragmatic and sensible way of ensuring the continued and uninterrupted provision of public services.

“This reflects the fact that the underlying financial allocations have been known to all relevant organisations for some considerable time, and have been used as the basis for the preparation of operating plans within those organisations, and the deployment of staff and other resources.

“The key point is that the financial allocations to Departments have been in place since January and have been used to further allocate budgets for this year to Health Trusts, Education & Library Boards, agencies and other public bodies, and to support other logistical issues associated with the planning and delivery of public services.

“Any change to, or indeed the simple creation of uncertainty around those plans at this stage by an incoming Executive would risk material, and possibly detrimental, implications for underlying core services.”

Mr Robinson explained that this approach will only apply to the starting position for the new Executive and that it would have the opportunity to review spending plans through the normal In Year Monitoring process. He told MLAs that the new administration will be in the driving seat from now on: “All re-allocations of funding will be made in accordance with the Executive’s priorities, rather than those used by the previous direct rule Ministerial team.

“Endorsing the current plans provides the Executive with a long lead-in time to establish its own priorities through a new Programme for Government, which will be underpinned by detailed spending plans and a longer-term investment strategy.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Today begins the formal legislative process leading to the authorisation of Northern Ireland Departmental allocations for 2007 – 2008.

Assuming the Bill passes through its First Stage in the Assembly today, it will then proceed through the remaining stages this month culminating in Royal Assent in July.