Written Ministerial Statement

The content of this written ministerial statement is as received at the time from the Minister. It has not been subject to the official reporting (Hansard) process.

Department of Finance - Public Expenditure 2021-22 Further Allocations

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Published at 12.00 noon on Thursday 3 March 2022. 

Mr Murphy (The Minister of Finance): In my Oral Statement to the Assembly on 15 February, I notified the House of my intention to make further allocations to ensure optimal use of the funding available and minimise the risk of losing funding to Treasury.

I wish to update Members on the current financial position and provide details of further funding allocations that I am making.

2021-22 Available Resources

Following January monitoring, there was £70.5 million Resource DEL, £35.9 million Capital DEL and £1.6 million Financial Transactions Capital unallocated.

At its meeting on the 27 January, the Executive agreed a further allocation of £5.5 million Resource DEL to the Department of Finance to extend the Omicron Hospitality Payment to include hotels and sports clubs. This brought the available Resource DEL down to £65 million.

I noted at the time of January monitoring that Barnett consequentials had yet to be confirmed by Treasury. These have now been confirmed and the unallocated resources stood at £95.2 million Resource DEL and £1.4 million FTC with a small over-commitment of £1.6 million Capital DEL.

Further Allocations

At January monitoring, the Executive agreed that I would keep the in-year position under review and revisit potential allocations towards the end of the year once Barnett consequentials had been confirmed.

The Executive also wished to carry forward Resource DEL to supplement the budget position in 2022-23 through the Budget Exchange Scheme (BES). The permitted carry forward under BES for Resource DEL is £104.3 million.

Given historic levels of departmental underspends that typically emerge at year-end, my intention is to bring the available resources down to around £50 million to minimise the risk that we exceed this limit and have to return money to Treasury. This means making £45 million of allocations in 2021-22.

The actions of the First Minister mean that the Executive cannot meet to agree allocations. I have considered this matter at some length and, while it steps outside the normal processes to allocate funding without Executive approval, I feel it would be unforgivable if funding that could be used to support local people and services was returned to the Treasury because of the political situation.

Having received legal advice on the options available to me to address the unallocated funding and sought the views of Ministers, I intend to allocate £45 million to the departments that had sought further funding – the Department of Education, Department for Communities and Department for Infrastructure.

I can now confirm that the following allocations have been made to departments:

The Department for Communities receives £16.0 million for the Housing Executive for the implementation of the Tower Block Action Plan and Thermal Insulation Programmes.

The Department of Education receives £13.0 million, meeting their request in full, for teaching pay pressures.

The Department for Infrastructure receives £16.0 million to provide additional funding for Translink and address increased energy costs and a reduction in testing income for DVA.

There is also a small allocation for a central adjustment of £0.1 million for the salaries of statutory office holders including the NI Public Service Ombudsman, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Lands Tribunal and Judicial salaries.

Outcome

As a result of these further allocations there remains £50.2 million Resource DEL eligible for carry forward under BES into next year. This is in addition to the £100 million Barnett consequential relating to the Council Tax rebate which Treasury has agreed can be carried forward outside the Budget Exchange Scheme. We will also receive £150 million in 2022-23 in relation to the repayable energy discount the British Government recently announced. This means there will be at least £300 million of additional funding next year, over and above the draft Budget position

The £1.4 million unallocated FTC will be carried across in full to 2022-23, whilst the small over-commitment of £1.6 million Capital DEL is expected to be addressed as departmental underspends emerge at year-end.

The departmental spending table accompanying this statement has been revised to reflect the changes outlined in this statement and has been updated from tables previously published which reflected January Monitoring 2021-22 outcome.

INDEX OF TABLES

2021-22 January Monitoring:

Annex A Further Allocations

Annex B Spending Area tables

ANNEX A

Further Allocations (£ million)

 

Department

Description

Non Ring Fenced Resource DEL

 

 

 

 

 

 

DoF

Omicron Hospitality Payment Scheme Extension

5.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfC

Housing Executive Tower Block and Insulation

16.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfI 

DVA Lost Income

8.0

 

 

 

DVA Increased Energy Costs

0.4

 

 

 

Translink Subsidy

7.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DE

Teaching Pay Pressures

13.0 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NIAO

Statutory Salary

0.1

 

 

Total Allocations

50.6

 

 

 

2021-22 Departmental Outcome by Spending Area - Resource DEL (£ millions)

Department

Spending Area

October Monitoring Position

1
Reduced Requirements

2
January Allocations

3
Technical Adjustments

January Monitoring Position

DAERA

Food and Farming

418.2

 

 

-5.0

413.2

 

Veterinary Service and Animal Health

68.8

 

4.0

8.7

81.5

 

Rural Affairs

16.2

 

 

-0.9

15.3

 

Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission

2.1

 

 

0.3

2.3

 

Environment, Marine and Fisheries

57.5

 

 

-0.7

56.8

 

Forestry

5.0

 

 

-0.1

4.9

Total DAERA

 

567.8

 

4.0

2.3

574.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfC

Welfare and Employment

392.6

-20.2

55.0

-13.9

413.4

 

Local Government

64.6

 

18.2

-0.3

82.5

 

Housing Benefit (Rates Element)

102.2

-1.4

 

-3.8

97.0

 

Housing and Regeneration

174.0

 

16.0

1.5

191.5

 

Culture, Arts and Sport

107.1

 

 

2.2

109.3

 

Voluntary and Community Funding

57.3

 

 

5.5

62.8

 

North South Language Body

6.8

 

 

2.7

9.5

Total DfC

 

904.6

-21.6

89.2

-6.2

966.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfE

Economic & Business Development

373.4

-33.9

 

-5.9

333.6

 

Tourism

40.5

-0.6

 

0.2

40.1

 

Employment and Skills

357.5

-18.8

 

2.6

341.3

 

Student Support & Higher Education

341.0

-2.6

 

3.0

341.5

 

Tourism Ireland Ltd.

17.2

 

 

5.0

22.2

 

InterTradeIreland

7.1

 

 

0.1

7.2

 

Representation & Regulatory Services

29.1

-2.4

 

-0.4

26.3

Total DfE

 

1,165.8

-58.3

 

4.7

1,112.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DE

Pre-school, Primary School & Post Primary Education

2,212.3

-41.1

53.9

3.0

2,228.1

 

Youth and Other Children's Services

44.3

-0.0

0.0

0.2

44.5

 

Activities to Support Education

243.3

 

2.4

-3.6

242.1

Total DE

 

2,499.8

-41.1

56.3

-0.4

2,514.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DoF

Finance, Procurement & Policy

21.5

-1.2

 

0.3

20.5

 

NICS Shared Services

66.7

-3.4

 

-0.6

62.8

 

NI Statistics & Research Agency

18.9

-0.3

 

-0.0

18.5

 

Land & Property Services

107.7

-6.7

46.3

3.5

150.8

 

EU Programmes

0.7

-0.1

 

-0.1

0.6

 

Special EU Programmes Body

1.4

 

 

 

1.4

 

NICS Accommodation Services

43.6

-0.5

 

-0.1

43.1

Total DoF

 

260.6

-12.1

46.3

3.0

297.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DoH

Hospital Services

4,161.7

 

 

283.3

4,445.0

 

Social Care Services

1,320.8

 

 

-15.8

1,305.0

 

FHS - General Medical Services

331.4

 

 

-2.9

328.5

 

FHS - Pharmaceutical Services

556.7

 

 

-2.6

554.1

 

FHS - Dental Services

129.1

 

 

-2.8

126.3

 

FHS - Ophthalmic Services

25.6

 

 

-0.4

25.2

 

Health Support Services

171.9

 

 

-186.1

-14.2

 

Public Health Services

94.9

 

 

1.3

96.2

 

Paramedic Services

110.2

 

 

-3.2

107.0

 

Food Safety Promotion Board (N/S Body)

1.6

 

 

0.5

2.1

 

Fire & Rescue Services

87.4

 

 

1.1

88.5

Total DoH

 

6,991.4

 

 

72.3

7,063.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfI

Roads, Rivers and Waterways

209.4

-0.1

8.3

2.1

219.7

 

Waterways Ireland

3.6

 

 

-0.0

3.6

 

Bus, Rail and Ports

120.2

-0.3

55.4

-2.9

172.4

 

Road Safety Services Including DVA

13.0

-0.1

10.4

-1.3

22.0

 

Planning and Legacy Sites

5.2

 

 

-0.2

5.1

 

Water and Sewerage

133.9

 

13.8

2.7

150.4

Total DfI

 

485.4

-0.4

87.9

0.3

573.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOJ

Access to Justice

174.7

-0.4

3.5

1.1

179.0

 

Safer Communities

75.7

-0.5

 

-0.1

75.1

 

NI Prison Service and Youth Justice Agency

137.4

-0.9

 

-1.4

135.0

 

Police Service of Northern Ireland

791.1

 

8.8

1.8

801.8

Total DOJ

 

1,178.9

-1.9

12.3

1.5

1,190.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEO

Executive Support

118.4

-10.5

 

3.7

111.6

 

Good Relations

17.6

-0.1

 

1.0

18.5

 

North-South Ministerial Council

1.8

 

 

-0.4

1.3

 

Attorney General for Northern Ireland

1.4

 

 

 

1.4

Total TEO

 

139.1

-10.6

 

4.3

132.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FSA

Food Standards Agency

14.3

-1.0

 

 

13.3

NIA

Northern Ireland Assembly

44.6

-1.0

 

 

43.7

NIAO

NI Audit Office

8.0

-0.4

0.1

 

7.7

NIAUR

NI Authority for Utility Regulation

0.1

-0.0

 

0.0

0.1

NIPSO

NIPSO

3.6

 

 

 

3.6

PPS

Public Prosecution Service

37.2

-0.4

 

0.0

36.9

Total

 

14,301.2

-148.8

296.1

81.9

14,530.5

 Totals may not add due to roundings

1 No adjustment has been made since the previous published table in Written Ministerial Statement 2021-22 January Monitoring - 20-01-22

2 See Annex A for breakdown of further allocations that have been made since the previous published table in Written Ministerial Statement 2021-22 January Monitoring - 20-01-22

3 No adjustment has been made since the previous published table in Written Ministerial Statement 2021-22 January Monitoring - 20-01-22

 

2021-22 Departmental Outcome by Spending Area - Capital DEL inc FTC (£ millions)

Department

Spending Area

October Monitoring Position

1
Reduced Requirements

2
January Allocations

3
Technical Adjustments

January Monitoring Position

DAERA

Food and Farming

54.0

-7.6

 

-0.6

45.8

 

Veterinary Service and Animal Health

6.3

 

 

6.2

12.5

 

Rural Affairs

18.1

 

 

-6.7

11.5

 

Foyle, Carlingford and Irish Lights Commission

0.7

 

 

 

0.7

 

Environment, Marine and Fisheries

16.4

-3.0

 

0.6

14.1

 

Forestry

3.0

 

 

-0.1

3.0

Total DAERA

 

98.5

-10.6

 

-0.5

87.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfC

Welfare and Employment

9.2

 

 

-0.8

8.4

 

Local Government

 

 

 

 

 

 

Housing and Regeneration

231.6

-1.8

 

12.2

242.1

 

Culture, Arts and Sport

19.8

-0.8

 

-0.5

18.5

 

Voluntary and Community Funding

5.5

 

 

-0.0

5.5

Total DfC

 

266.2

-2.6

 

10.9

274.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfE

Economic & Business Development

83.1

-17.7

2.2

-23.1

44.5

 

Tourism

5.3

 

 

9.5

14.8

 

Employment and Skills

26.2

 

 

-2.1

24.1

 

Student Support & Higher Education

25.0

 

 

7.3

32.3

 

Tourism Ireland Ltd.

0.5

 

 

 

0.5

 

InterTradeIreland

0.0

 

 

 

0.0

 

Representation & Regulatory Services

0.5

-0.0

 

-0.3

0.2

Total DfE

 

140.7

-17.8

2.2

-8.7

116.4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DE

Pre-school, Primary School & Post Primary Education

161.7

-0.1

0.5

6.2

168.3

 

Youth and Other Children's Services

8.4

 

 

-1.4

7.0

 

Activities to Support Education

38.4

 

 

-0.6

37.8

Total DE

 

208.4

-0.1

0.5

4.2

213.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DoF

Finance, Procurement & Policy

0.9

-0.1

 

-0.2

0.6

 

NICS Shared Services

10.6

-0.3

 

0.7

11.0

 

NI Statistics & Research Agency

1.9

-0.3

 

 

1.6

 

Land & Property Services

4.5

-2.1

 

 

2.5

 

Special EU Programmes Body

0.0

 

 

 

0.0

 

NICS Accommodation Services

23.4

-3.9

 

0.2

19.7

Total DoF

 

41.4

-6.7

 

0.7

35.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DoH

Hospital Services

231.4

-7.4

 

7.9

232.0

 

Social Care Services

0.0

 

 

 

0.0

 

FHS - General Medical Services

16.7

-4.9

 

-0.3

11.5

 

Health Support Services

72.6

 

 

-8.1

64.5

 

Public Health Services

14.0

 

 

 

14.0

 

Paramedic Services

8.2

 

 

1.5

9.8

 

Fire & Rescue Services

9.3

 

 

-1.0

8.3

Total DoH

 

352.4

-12.3

 

0.1

340.2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DfI

Roads, Rivers and Waterways

255.6

-0.0

3.7

3.8

263.1

 

Waterways Ireland

1.9

 

 

-0.0

1.9

 

Bus, Rail and Ports

271.8

 

 

-17.2

254.5

 

Road Safety Services Including DVA

2.9

 

 

8.5

11.5

 

Planning and Legacy Sites

2.4

 

 

-1.0

1.4

 

Water and Sewerage

218.2

 

 

4.1

222.3

Total DfI

 

752.8

-0.0

3.7

-1.8

754.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DOJ

Access to Justice

7.2

-0.4

 

-0.0

6.8

 

Safer Communities

4.8

-1.4

 

 

3.4

 

NI Prison Service and Youth Justice Agency

14.4

-4.6

 

 

9.8

 

Police Service of Northern Ireland

59.1

-1.6

 

 

57.5

Total DOJ

 

85.5

-8.0

 

-0.0

77.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TEO

Executive Support

34.5

-1.4

 

-0.0

33.0

 

Good Relations

2.9

-0.1

 

0.1

2.9

 

Attorney General for Northern Ireland

 

 

 

0.0

0.0

Total TEO

 

37.4

-1.5

 

0.0

35.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FSA

Food Standards Agency

0.1

-0.1

 

 

0.1

NIA

Northern Ireland Assembly

0.7

-0.2

 

 

0.5

NIAO

NI Audit Office

4.7

 

0.4

 

5.1

NIAUR

NI Authority for Utility Regulation

0.0

 

 

 

0.0

NIPSO

NIPSO

0.1

-0.0

 

 

0.0

PPS

Public Prosecution Service

0.6

-0.1

 

 

0.6

Total

 

1,989.4

-59.8

6.8

4.9

1,941.3

 Totals may not add due to roundings

1 No adjustment has been made since the previous published table in Written Ministerial Statement 2021-22 January Monitoring - 20-01-22

2 No adjustment has been made since the previous published table in Written Ministerial Statement 2021-22 January Monitoring - 20-01-22

3 An adjustment has been made by DfE moving £10.0m from Economic & Business Development to Tourism since the previous published table in Written Ministerial Statement 2021-22 January Monitoring - 20-01-22