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Select Committee · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

The funding and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland

Status: Closed Opened: 14 Feb 2023 Closed: 28 May 2024 12 recommendations 3 conclusions 1 report

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching an inquiry into the funding of public services in Northern Ireland. The inquiry will look at the financial situation facing Northern Ireland’s public services, including health, education and the police, and how the lack of a functioning Executive has impacted on budgetary management. The Committee will also take …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - The funding and delivery of public services … HC 46 26 Mar 2024 15 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
5 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Accepted

Publish future UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation scope for NI public bodies.

The delivery and timing of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) caused considerable distress and uncertainty in the sector, particularly the decision to communicate the outcome of applications on the day European Social Funding ceased. The Government has announced that decisions on the future funding of UKSPF from April 2025 …

Government response. The government has announced that the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be extended for 2025-26 at a reduced level of £900 million. Regional, nation-level, and local allocations will be confirmed and published on gov.uk as soon as possible.
Northern Ireland Office
7 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Accepted

Mandate Northern Ireland Executive to commit to multi-year budgetary settlements for public services.

Single-year budgets and a lack of an agreed Programme for Government have not allowed for long-term thinking and planning for public services and spending in Northern Ireland over recent years. We urge the Executive to commit to returning to multi-year budgetary settlements following the next UK Spending Review as part …

Government response. The government commits to multi-year spending reviews every two years, starting Spring 2025, and expects the Northern Ireland Executive to return to multi-year budgets following this. It also clarifies that the NIE can already carry forward underspends via the Budget …
Northern Ireland Office
8 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Accepted

Clarify Government's evaluation and monitoring of NI fiscal sustainability plan implementation.

We are pleased to see reference to the publication and implementation of a fiscal sustainability plan as part of the settlement between the Government and Executive, which will include detail on long-term budget planning. It is noted that there is a strong view that the Government’s conditionality for writing-off Executive …

Government response. The government clarifies that the £559 million debt will be written off if the Executive balances its 2024-25 budget and raises £113m revenue from 2025/26, with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury confirming this if conditions are met, thus outlining …
Northern Ireland Office

Oral evidence sessions

5 sessions
Date Witnesses
8 Nov 2023 Emma Morgan · SEN Reform NI, Paul Johnson CBE · Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland, Paul Kavanagh · SEN Reform NI, Professor Gerald Holtham · Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales View ↗
4 Jul 2023 Celine McStravick · Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA), David Babington · Action Mental Health, Dr Lisa Wilson · Nevin Economic Research Institute, Michele Janes · Barnardo's Northern Ireland, Sir Robert Chote · Northern Ireland Fiscal Council View ↗
21 Jun 2023 Dorinnia Carville · Northern Ireland Audit Office, Geraldine Hanna, Victims of Crime Commissioner Designate for Northern Ireland, Margaret Kelly, NI Public Services Ombudsman, Mark McNaughten · The Police Service of Northern Ireland, Pamela McCreedy · Police Service of Northern Ireland, Rodney Allen · Northern Ireland Audit Office, Sean Martin, NI Public Services Deputy Ombudsman View ↗
24 May 2023 Dolores McCormick · Royal College of Nursing, Dr Tom Black · British Medical Association (BMA), Liam McGuckin · National Association of Headteachers (Northern Ireland), Mark Baker · Controlled Schools’ Support Council, Professor Mark Taylor · Royal College of Surgeons, Sara Long · Education Authority View ↗
3 May 2023 Jayne Brady · Northern Ireland Civil Service, Joanne McBurney · NI Department of Finance, Neil Gibson · NI Department of Finance View ↗

Correspondence

8 letters
DateDirectionTitle
15 Nov 2023 — Correspondence to Permanent Secretary, Northern Ireland Department of Health, r…
15 Nov 2023 — Correspondence from Permanent Secretary, Northern Ireland Department of Health,…
6 Sep 2023 — Correspondence from the Secretary of State, relating to the transformation prio…
6 Sep 2023 — Correspondence to the Secretary of State, relating to the transformation priori…
21 Jun 2023 — Correspondence from Medical General Council, relating to the funding and delive…
7 Jun 2023 — Correspondence from the Comptroller and Auditor General, Northern Ireland Audit…
7 Jun 2023 — Correspondence from the Head of the Civil Service, Northern Ireland, relating t…
24 May 2023 — Correspondence from the Controlled Schools’ Support Council, relating to the fu…