10 June 2013 Motion: Supply Resolution for the Northern Ireland Main Estimates 2013-14 We have reached the stage in the year again where we have no other real choice than to allow the Main Estimates today, and associated legislation through the Budget Bill tomorrow, to pass. Despite having voted against the four year budget in 2011 and having expressed serious concerns about the various aspects of that budget we have little option than to raise those concerns once again and move on. This stems from the fact that we have a financial process which is not fit for purpose. I have said that many times in this House and in many budget debates throughout the years. Good work has been undertaken by the Finance Committee in the past in attempt to remedy this. Indeed an inquiry was taken forward into the role of the Northern Ireland Assembly in Scrutinising the Executive’s Budget and Expenditure. Recommendations were made. Those recommendations included that formal agreement was needed on a regularised, or structured, budget process. As well as that, an early formal stage within that process was felt necessary to give the Assembly the opportunity to influence Ministers’ thinking and to enhance effective scrutiny. We then have the Review of Financial Process which the Department of Finance and Personnel is taking forward on behalf of the Executive. Its terms of reference state that the overall aim of the review is to examine and make recommendations on the options to create a single coherent financial framework that is effective, efficient and transparent and enhances scrutiny by and accountability to the Assembly, taking into account the needs of the Assembly. Both the recommendations of the inquiry and the stated intention of the review of financial process are laudable and would undoubtedly improve the situation. Not least it would make debates like today and tomorrow more meaningful. But the question remains – what has happened to these vital pieces of work? The Committee of Finance and Personnel inquiry sits on a shelf somewhere and the review of financial process is being frustrated by the Sinn Fein Education Minister who refuses to have transparency with regard to his Departments expenditure. This is unacceptable. There has been much talk recently of a rotation of the Finance Ministry by the DUP and I hope that a legacy of Sammy Wilson’s time in office is not the fact that he could not carry through this vital reform of the Assembly’s financial dealings. The Minister is seeking the Assembly’s approval of the 2013-14 spending plans of Departments and other public bodies as set out in the Main Estimates. That combined sum is eight billion, two hundred and seventy one million, two hundred and sixty eight thousand pounds. That is a vast amount of money and one which should be allowed to be adequately scrutinised by this Assembly. That is simply not the case at present. However, so as not to complicate matters or jeopardise the drawdown of funding by Departments, but in the full knowledge of our previous opposition to the four year budget and the concerns which many of my colleagues will outline over the course of the next two days, we will not obstruct the budgetary process at this stage. I want to go on to mention in closing just a few areas relating to the Main Estimates where I would welcome clarification from the Minister when he responds to this debate. Firstly, we recently had the announcement from the First and deputy First Minister on the ‘Together: Building a United Community’ Strategy. However, from my membership of the OFMdFM Committee I am aware that it has not been factored into any budget as of yet. Assuming that some or all of the projects will be up and running in the incoming year and bearing in mind that Junior Minister Jonathan Bell claimed that half a billion pounds would be allocated to it; some detail would certainly be interesting given the lack of consultation thus far with other Parties. Secondly, the Minister has been granted additional infrastructure of over £200 million from the Treasury through Barnett consequentials. Can he outline what specific projects that money will be made available for? I believe that it is important to see it making a tangible difference and not simply being evaporated into the Ministers coffers with little or no transparency. Lastly, the situation as regards the legal dispute to the European grant to the Titanic Signature project was raised during the previous budgetary stages. Looking ahead I would appreciate the Ministers explanation of the current position of this £18 million request from the Enterprise Minister.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:06:07 +0000
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