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Select Committee · Northern Ireland Affairs Committee

Funding and delivery of public services: follow up

Status: Closed Opened: 4 Dec 2024 Closed: 19 Jun 2025 4 recommendations 3 conclusions 1 report

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is launching a follow-up inquiry into the funding of public services in Northern Ireland. The inquiry is looking at the challenges facing Northern Ireland’s public services (including health, education and the police) and considering: Northern Ireland’s level of need relative to the rest of the UK; the implications of the …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
1st Report - Funding and delivery of public services: follo… HC 477 7 Apr 2025 7 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
4 Recommendation 1st Report - Funding and delivery of pu… Accepted

Northern Ireland needs long-term funding and integrated government for public service transformation.

Northern Ireland must have appropriate funding now to transform its public services in the medium term. In recent years, Northern Ireland has received one-off funding packages to alleviate short-term problems. This well-intentioned resourcing has done little to help Northern Ireland plan and invest strategically for long-term public service transformation. We …

Government response. The government committed £235 million to the Transformation Fund, ringfenced for public service transformation, and has already allocated £129m to six projects, with plans to allocate the remaining funds soon.
Northern Ireland Office
5 Recommendation 1st Report - Funding and delivery of pu… Accepted

Provide stable, sustainable, multi-year funding for Northern Ireland public services transformation.

The Government must provide stable, sustainable, multi-year funding as part of future budget settlements, to enable the Northern Ireland Executive and service providers to plan for long-term public services transformation. (Recommendation, Paragraph 62) Raising revenue

Government response. The government confirmed multi-year funding for the Spending Review period until at least 2028-29, aligning with the recommendation for stable, sustainable funding for Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Office
6 Conclusion 1st Report - Funding and delivery of pu… Accepted

Northern Ireland could reduce Block Grant reliance through increased revenue raising.

In the longer-term, one way in which Northern Ireland could reduce its reliance on the vagaries of the Block Grant, Barnett formula and short-term funding would be to raise more revenue itself. That is, of course, easier said than done. The introduction of water charges (for example) may be politically …

Government response. The government has agreed with the Northern Ireland Executive to immediately begin negotiations on a full Fiscal Framework, including discussions on Northern Ireland Housing Executive borrowing and the Holtham Review, aiming for long-term financial sustainability.
Northern Ireland Office

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions
Date Witnesses
22 Jan 2025 Ciarán Hayes · Northern Ireland Office, Dr Caoimhe Archibald MLA · NI Department of Finance, Fleur Anderson MP · Northern Ireland Office, Joanne McBurney · NI Department of Finance, Neil Gibson · NI Department of Finance, Stephen Rusk · Northern Ireland Office View ↗
15 Jan 2025 Alex Brennan · Northern Ireland Women’s Budget Group, Ann Watt · Pivotal Public Policy Forum, Celine McStravick · Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action, Dr Alan Stout · British Medical Association Northern Ireland Council, Dr Graham Gault · National Association of Headteachers Northern Ireland, Pamela McCreedy · Police Service of Northern Ireland View ↗
8 Jan 2025 Dorinnia Carville · Northern Ireland Audit Office, Professor Stephen Farry · Ulster University, Sir Robert Chote · Northern Ireland Fiscal Council View ↗