Debate contribution: Executive Budget

Debate contribution by Mr Brian Kingston on 22 June 2026.

MLA

Mr Brian Kingston

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

22 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Executive Budget

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5637916

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I rise as a DUP member of the Committee for Finance. I hope that all parties across the Assembly agree that the funding that we receive from Treasury is not enough to meet our level of need in Northern Ireland. However, there is clearly a difference in what the response to that should be. The SDLP, in its motion, criticises our Executive for failing to agree a multi-year Budget based on our current funding from Treasury. The SDLP should be clear on what agreeing to that Budget would mean in the current financial year. It would mean agreeing to a Budget more than £1 billion below our combined departmental needs for the current year, particularly in the public-facing Departments of Health, Education and Justice. It would mean agreeing to implement cuts of £1 billion that would involve substantial job losses, closure of services, poorer education provision and longer waiting lists for health. Is that what the SDLP wants? Perhaps, as an Opposition party, that is what it wants in order to increase public discontent. The SDLP is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. At the same time as it criticises the Executive for not implementing the current block grant, it says that the block grant is not sufficient. The SDLP cannot have it both ways. Perhaps the SDLP could do more to persuade its sister party at Westminster to increase the block grant to the Executive and the people of Northern Ireland. The gap between what our public services need and what Treasury provides is growing year-on-year, and it is no longer feasible to make the books balance without additional funding. The permanent secretary recently confirmed to the Finance Committee that, without an agreed Budget by 1 August, Departments can allocate only 95% of last year's Budget. However, it is nonsense and scaremongering by the SDLP to claim, as it does in the motion, that the final 5% could not be allocated subsequently. That is a fallacy; of course it could be unlocked. Last week, the Finance Committee received important figures comparing the funding from Treasury per person in each of the four nations of the United Kingdom with the official level of need calculation, which is based on population characteristics and socio-economic conditions. The figures showed that, while Northern Ireland receives just 0·63% above its recognised level of need of 124% in the current financial year, Scotland receives over 20% more than its most recent recognised level of need, taking it to over 125% and above the per capita figure in Northern Ireland. Likewise, Wales receives over 8·5% above its most recent recognised level of need, bringing its figure to around 124% as well. Northern Ireland needs recognition of its additional needs, such as its rurality and the level of need here. The Democratic Unionist Party will continue to lead the charge for a sustainable Budget for Northern Ireland while pushing for greater efficiency and transformation in our public services. The amendment in the name of Jemma Dolan and Deirdre Hargey is an improvement on the original motion, removing the nonsense about a 5% cut and highlighting the better funding settlement for Scotland and Wales. The DUP will support that amendment.

534 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:06 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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