Written Ministerial Statement

Published at 5.30 pm on 20 May 2021.

 

Mr Murphy (The Minister of Finance): I wish to provide Members with an update on further allocations of COVID-19 support funding for the financial year 2021-22.

 

COVID FUNDING AVAILABLE

Since the announcement of the Final Budget for 2021-22 further funding of £114 million has been made available in relation to COVID-19 Barnett consequentials by the Treasury.

Given the need to ensure that the COVID-19 response continues to be as responsive as possible the Executive has now made a further set of allocations.

 

COVID-19 ALLOCATIONS

Current Restrictions

The extension of current restrictions into the 2021-22 financial year means there is a requirement to also extend the current support measures.  The Localised Business Support Scheme is projecting a cost of £64 million for 2021-22, the Large Hospitality and Tourism Business Support Scheme is projecting a cost of £14.1 million and the Covid Restrictions Business Support Scheme is projecting a cost of £18 million.  The total amount of funding required for these schemes is £96.1 million.  Allocations in respect of these schemes is set out at Annex A.

Further Allocations

In total, departments submitted bids of £297.6 million Resource, and £30.4 million Capital in relation to this exercise.  A full list of bids submitted is set out at Annex B.

The Executive has considered the position and allocations totalling £189.5 million Resource and £30.4 million Capital have been made.  A full list is set out at Annex C.

 

DAERA

DAERA has been allocated £1.1 million Resource DEL including £0.5 million for the Rural Business Community Fund, which will bring together rural businesses and other partners to drive economic growth in rural areas.

 

DfC

£50.3 million is being allocated to the Department for Communities. This is to address a range of pressures including £10 million to Councils to ensure the continued delivery of local public services, as well as £3 million to support council-managed community development and advice services via the Community Support Programme.

The total also includes £13 million to Arts, Culture and Heritage to support ongoing recovery within the sector. Similarly, I am also recommending that £5 million is provided to the Sports Sustainability Fund to help alleviate the ongoing effects of the pandemic on sporting bodies, while an additional £5 million is being provided to support charities and social enterprises facing continued financial difficulties.

The pandemic has had a significant impact on levels of unemployment. £12 million is therefore also being provided to allow the Department to progress its Restart scheme, which will support older people in returning to employment.         

 

DfE

The Department for the Economy has been allocated £9 million for the Further Education sector to ensure safe learning for students.

 

DE

The allocation of £32.7 million to the Department of Education will meet all sixteen of its resource bids relating to this academic year.  The Executive has also met the department’s capital bid to provide laptops for teachers to support remote learning.

The Education Department also bid for a range of pressures for the next academic year and these can be revisited when there is more clarity on course of pandemic and the restrictions which will be required at that time.

 

DoF

£2.7 million has been allocated to the Department of Finance. This will help to alleviate the pressures resulting from lost income for Land Registry and Ordnance Survey as a result of COVID restrictions.

 

DoH

The £50.5 million resource allocation to Health includes provision to allow the Department to continue the roll out of the Covid 19 vaccination programme. £12m is being provided to help meet the additional costs faced within adult social care as a result of Covid. Funding is also being provided to meet a range of pressures across the Health Service as it continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic, including within Cancer services, Nursing and Midwifery, as well as Cardiology. The allocation includes £1.4 million to support a number of mental health interventions and a further £1 million towards managing the long term health effects of Covid on individuals.  The Department has also been allocated £9 million Capital for COVID-19 initiatives.

 

DfI

The £20 million resource allocation to DfI is being provided to compensate the Department for lost income as result of Covid. It is for the Infrastructure Minister to prioritise this £20m between Translink, DVA and other bodies. It is early in the year so the impact on the income of DfI agencies will continue to be monitored and will be revisited.

 

DoJ

I am proposing an allocation of £20.7 million Resource DEL to the Department for Justice. This allocation will support the Police, Prisons and Court Service in meeting the additional costs faced as a result of Covid. It also includes £9.1 million to address backlogs across the criminal justice system that have arisen as a result of Covid.

 

TEO

TEO is being allocated £1.3m to support the ongoing work of the department in Covid recovery, including the Executive Covid Taskforce.

 

PPS

PPS is being allocated £1.2 million to support cross-justice recovery. This is in relation to DoJ bid for cross justice recovery which will result in additional costs for PPS.

 

Outcome

Following this exercise there remains £14.9 million Resource, £33.6 Capital DEL and £19.3 Financial Transactions Capital available for allocation and these sums will be incorporated into the upcoming June Monitoring Round.

 

INDEX OF TABLES

ANNEX A – RESTRICTION SCHEME Allocations

ANNEX B – BIDS

ANNEX C – DEPARTMENTAL ALLOCATIONS