Official Report (Hansard) Tuesday 25 February 2020 Volume 125, No 9 Session 2019-2020 Contents Executive Committee Business Budget Bill: Second Stage ................................................................................................................. 1 Oral Answers to Questions Finance .............................................................................................................................................. 28 Health ................................................................................................................................................ 37 Executive Committee Business Budget Bill: Second Stage (Continued) ............................................................................................. 46 Assembly Members Aiken, Steve (South Antrim) Kearney, Declan (South Antrim) Allen, Andy (East Belfast) Kelly, Ms Catherine (West Tyrone) Allister, Jim (North Antrim) Kelly, Mrs Dolores (Upper Bann) Anderson, Ms Martina (Foyle) Kelly, Gerry (North Belfast) Archibald, Dr Caoimhe (East Londonderry) Kimmins, Ms Liz (Newry and Armagh) Armstrong, Ms Kellie (Strangford) Long, Mrs Naomi (East Belfast) Bailey, Ms Clare (South Belfast) Lunn, Trevor (Lagan Valley) Barton, Mrs Rosemary (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Lynch, Seán (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Beattie, Doug (Upper Bann) Lyons, Gordon (East Antrim) Beggs, Roy (East Antrim) Lyttle, Chris (East Belfast) Blair, John (South Antrim) McAleer, Declan (West Tyrone) Boylan, Cathal (Newry and Armagh) McCann, Fra (West Belfast) Bradley, Maurice (East Londonderry) McCrossan, Daniel (West Tyrone) Bradley, Ms Paula (North Belfast) McGlone, Patsy (Mid Ulster) Bradley, Ms Sinéad (South Down) McGrath, Colin (South Down) Bradshaw, Ms Paula (South Belfast) McGuigan, Philip (North Antrim) Buchanan, Keith (Mid Ulster) McHugh, Maolíosa (West Tyrone) Buchanan, Thomas (West Tyrone) McIlveen, Miss Michelle (Strangford) Buckley, Jonathan (Upper Bann) McLaughlin, Ms Sinead (Foyle) Bunting, Ms Joanne (East Belfast) McNulty, Justin (Newry and Armagh) Butler, Robbie (Lagan Valley) Mallon, Ms Nichola (North Belfast) Cameron, Mrs Pam (South Antrim) Maskey, Alex (Speaker) Carroll, Gerry (West Belfast) Middleton, Gary (Foyle) Catney, Pat (Lagan Valley) Muir, Andrew (North Down) Chambers, Alan (North Down) Mullan, Ms Karen (Foyle) Clarke, Trevor (South Antrim) Murphy, Conor (Newry and Armagh) Dallat, John (East Londonderry) Nesbitt, Mike (Strangford) Dickson, Stewart (East Antrim) Newton, Robin (East Belfast) Dillon, Ms Linda (Mid Ulster) Ní Chuilín, Ms Carál (North Belfast) Dodds, Mrs Diane (Upper Bann) O'Dowd, John (Upper Bann) Dolan, Ms Jemma (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) O'Neill, Mrs Michelle (Mid Ulster) Dunne, Gordon (North Down) O'Toole, Matthew (South Belfast) Durkan, Mark (Foyle) Poots, Edwin (Lagan Valley) Easton, Alex (North Down) Robinson, George (East Londonderry) Ennis, Ms Sinéad (South Down) Rogan, Ms Emma (South Down) Flynn, Ms Órlaithí (West Belfast) Sheehan, Pat (West Belfast) Foster, Mrs Arlene (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Sheerin, Ms Emma (Mid Ulster) Frew, Paul (North Antrim) Stalford, Christopher (South Belfast) Gildernew, Colm (Fermanagh and South Tyrone) Stewart, John (East Antrim) Givan, Paul (Lagan Valley) Storey, Mervyn (North Antrim) Hargey, Ms Deirdre (South Belfast) Sugden, Ms Claire (East Londonderry) Harvey, Harry (Strangford) Swann, Robin (North Antrim) Hilditch, David (East Antrim) Weir, Peter (Strangford) Humphrey, William (North Belfast) Wells, Jim (South Down) Irwin, William (Newry and Armagh) Woods, Miss Rachel (North Down) Northern Ireland Assembly Tuesday 25 February 2020 The Assembly met at 10.30 am (Mr Speaker in the Chair). Members observed two minutes' silence. expenditure against the Executive's Budget Executive Committee through each of the in-year monitoring rounds Business and up to the finalisation and publication of the SSEs and the introduction of the Budget Bill. That programme of work has not been possible Budget Bill: Second Stage in the 2019-2020 year, with the unsatisfactory situation of a Budget being set by the Secretary Mr Murphy (The Minister of Finance): I beg to of State and the Main Estimates being move approved in Westminster. The work of the Finance Committee in that respect is vital, and I That the Second Stage of the Budget Bill [NIA am glad that a programme of work can now be 2/17-22] be agreed. put in place for the incoming 2020-21 financial year. Today's Second Stage follows yesterday's approval of the Supply resolutions by the Standing Order 32 directs that the Second Assembly for the expenditure plans of Stage debate should be confined to the general Departments and other public bodies, as principles of the Bill, and I shall endeavour to detailed in the 2019-2020 spring keep to that direction. The main purpose of the Supplementary Estimates (SSEs) and the 2021 Bill is to authorise the cash and use of resource Vote on Account. As Members will be aware, on services based on the Executive's final accelerated passage of the Bill is necessary in spending plans for 2019-2020 for Departments order to ensure Royal Assent prior to the end of and other public bodies as set out in the spring March. Were the Bill not to proceed by Supplementary Estimates for 2019-2020. The accelerated passage and receive Assembly Bill also provides authorisation for the cash and approval before the end of the financial year, use of resources in the early months of the Departments and other public bodies may have 2021 financial year as a Vote on Account, legislative difficulty in accessing cash. That pending the Assembly's consideration of the would threaten the delivery of public services, Main Estimates and the Budget (No. 2) Bill in not just for the closing weeks of the current June. financial year but for the early months of the 2020-21 financial year. Copies of the Budget Bill and the explanatory and financial memorandum have been made I am very grateful to the Finance Committee for available to Members today, and the 2019-2020 confirming that, in line with Standing Order 42, spring Supplementary Estimates and the 2021 the Bill can proceed under accelerated Vote on Account were laid in the Assembly on passage. I thank the Committee for its work in 19 February. agreeing to accelerated passage. We all recognise that the situation this year has been The Bill will authorise a further £17,519,166,000 far from satisfactory, given that the 2019-2020 from the Consolidated Fund and the further use Budget was set by the Secretary of State rather of resources totalling £21,022,321,000 by the than the Executive and that the devolved Departments and certain other bodies listed in institutions have been restored so close to the schedules 1 and 2 to the Bill in the year ending end of the financial year. 31 March 2020. The cash and resources are to be spent and used on the services listed in In the normal course of events, the Committee column 1 of each schedule. These amounts would have been heavily involved in the setting supersede the amounts that were previously of the 2019-2020 Budget right from its authorised in Westminster through the Main inception, with the Main Estimates, which would Estimates. have been debated in the Assembly before the summer, providing the statutory authority for 1 Tuesday 25 February 2020 The Bill also sets for the current financial year a temporary borrowing by my Department of limit for each Department on the use of £3,981,448,000. This is approximately half the accruing resources. Accruing resources are sum authorised by clause 4 for issue out of the current and capital receipts totalling Consolidated Fund. I must stress that clause 5 £3,213,458,000. The accruing resources are to does not provide for the issue of any additional be spent and used on the services listed in cash out of the Consolidated Fund or convey column 1 of schedule 2. any additional spending power, but it enables my Department to run an effective and efficient The total resources and accruing resources cash management regime and ensure minimum now provided in the Bill bring the total for use drawdown of the block grant on a daily basis, by Departments in 2019-2020 to over £24 which is important when contemplating the daily billion. In addition, the Bill will authorise the borrowing by Departments. issue of a further £7,962,895,000 from the Consolidated Fund and the further use of The legislation is required for every public resources totalling £9,054,440,000 by service. Whether a schoolteacher or a nurse, Departments and certain other bodies listed in the building of a road or the training required for schedules 3 and 4 to the Bill in the year ending gaining a job, all public services need the 31 March 2021. The cash and resources are to legislation to operate in the financial year. It is be spent and used on the services listed in crucial legislation that underpins public column 1 of schedules 3 and 4. services. This is the Vote on Account and, as I explained, I am happy to deal with any points of principle does not constitute the setting of a Budget for or detail of the Budget Bill that Members may 2020-21. It is merely to allow Departments to wish to raise. continue to operate and provide services in the early months of that year, pending Mr Speaker: I thank the Minister. The Second consideration of the Executive's Budget for that Stage of the Budget Bill having been moved, in year through the Main Estimates and the accordance with convention, the Business Budget (No. 2) Bill in June. Committee has not allocated any