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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 … Show more

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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

6 items
1 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Deferred

Introduce statutory duty for NI Department of Health to publish workforce projections.

We are concerned about staff recruitment and retention in the health service, with thousands of empty posts and a reliance on costly agency staff. The equivalent of 26.3% of the Northern Ireland population are on waiting lists, with some going on to develop further health complications while they wait. While … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government details substantial past and future financial packages for the NI Executive and states that discussions on the next phase of the fiscal framework are commencing. Regarding a statutory duty on the Department of Health to publish workforce projections, the government states this is …
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Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Office
2 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Deferred

Require Northern Ireland Executive to prioritise SEN pupil numbers in education funding allocation.

After years of under-investment, the education sector has been struggling to fulfil its statutory duties. Spending per pupil has been consistently lower in Northern Ireland than in England. We are particularly concerned about the future of provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN), with the number … Read more

Government response AI summary
The UK Government's response did not address the recommendation for the Northern Ireland Executive to account for increasing SEN pupil numbers in education funding, instead quoting a different recommendation without providing a specific reply.
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Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Office
3 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Deferred

Mandate Treasury, NIO, and NI Executive to review PSNI's financial framework.

Cuts in police officer numbers due to recent budgetary pressures will impact on the PSNI’s visibility and ability to respond to increased demand. Officer numbers have dropped some way below the 7,500 committed to under the New Decade, New Approach agreement in 2020. More complex crimes, threats to staff and … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government recognises the PSNI's difficult financial position but states that policing is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Justice Minister to determine funding allocation. While detailing significant financial packages to the NI Executive and specific additional security funding, it states the Justice Minister …
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Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Office
4 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Deferred

Require Northern Ireland Executive to consider VCSE sector's contribution in future budgetary decisions.

The voluntary, community and social enterprise sector has struggled in the recent funding environment, and this is likely to have piled further pressure onto stretched public services. When making future budgetary decisions the Northern Ireland Executive must take account of the significant contribution that the sector offers and provides often … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government recognises the significant contribution of the voluntary, community, and social enterprise sector, but states that budgetary decisions regarding the sector are a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive.
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Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Office
9 Conclusion Third Report - The funding and delivery… Deferred

Mandate NI Executive to establish Public Services Transformation Board and detail reform plans.

The transformation agenda is critical to getting Northern Ireland’s finances onto a sustainable footing and cannot be delayed any further. The underfunding of local public services by the Treasury and the lack of an Executive for five out of the last seven years has undermined progress and difficult political decisions … Read more

Government response AI summary
The UK Government's response did not address the recommendation for the Northern Ireland Executive to set out public service transformation plans and establish the Transformation Board, instead quoting a different recommendation without providing a specific reply.
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Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Office
15 Recommendation Third Report - The funding and delivery… Deferred

Include reference to further fiscal devolution in upcoming Fiscal Framework negotiations by mid-2024.

We welcome the work of the Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland on further fiscal devolution. The devolution of such powers will not address the difficult situation in which public services currently find themselves but could help strengthen the economy and increase the fiscal accountability of the Executive. Income tax … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government's response does not address the recommendation for fiscal devolution negotiations to start in the first half of 2024, instead stating that the Northern Ireland Executive must consider a sector's contribution when making future budgetary decisions.
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Northern Ireland Executive 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 ↗

Who gave evidence

25 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Celine McStravick · Chief Executive Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) 1
David Babington · Chief Executive Action Mental Health 1
Dolores McCormick · Associate Director, Employment Relations and Memb… Royal College of Nursing 1
Dorinnia Carville · Comptroller and Auditor General Northern Ireland Audit Office 1
Dr Lisa Wilson · Senior Economist Nevin Economic Research Institute 1
Dr Tom Black · Northern Ireland Council Chair British Medical Association (BMA) 1
Emma Morgan · Committee Member SEN Reform NI 1
Geraldine Hanna, Victims of Crime Commissioner Designate for Northern Ireland — 1
Jayne Brady · Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Northern Ireland Civil Service 1
Joanne McBurney · Budget Director NI Department of Finance 1
Liam McGuckin · President National Association of Headteachers (Northern Ireland) 1
Margaret Kelly, NI Public Services Ombudsman — 1
Mark Baker · Chief Executive Controlled Schools’ Support Council 1
Mark McNaughten · Assistant Chief Officer for Corporate Services The Police Service of Northern Ireland 1
Michele Janes · Director for Northern Ireland Barnardo's Northern Ireland 1
Neil Gibson · Permanent Secretary NI Department of Finance 1
Pamela McCreedy · Chief Operating Officer Police Service of Northern Ireland 1
Paul Johnson CBE · Former Chair Independent Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland 1
Paul Kavanagh · Committee Member SEN Reform NI 1
Professor Gerald Holtham · Former Chair Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales 1
Professor Mark Taylor · Northern Ireland Director Royal College of Surgeons 1
Rodney Allen · Chief Operating Officer Northern Ireland Audit Office 1
Sara Long · Chief Executive Education Authority 1
Sean Martin, NI Public Services Deputy Ombudsman — 1
Sir Robert Chote · Chair Northern Ireland Fiscal Council 1

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 Head of the Civil Service, Northern Ireland, relating t…
7 Jun 2023 — Correspondence from the Comptroller and Auditor General, Northern Ireland Audit…
24 May 2023 — Correspondence from the Controlled Schools’ Support Council, relating to the fu…