Debate contribution: Budget (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Dr Steve Aiken OBE on 9 June 2025.

MLA

Dr Steve Aiken OBE

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

9 June 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Question for Urgent Oral Answer

Heading

Budget (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4997692

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I apologise for not being here for the entirety of the debate. Unfortunately, we had to attend the funeral of a very dear member of the Ulster Unionist Party, Pamela Stewart. I think that every member of our party, and the many people who knew her, will pass on their condolences to the family at this very sad time. Minister, I am glad that the Member behind you talked about the fact that the comprehensive spending review announcement is coming this week. We are talking about the Budget (No. 2) Bill, but we know that there may be some extra allocations coming in our direction in a short time. We also know, however, that those extra allocations are highly unlikely to meet the various challenges that we have across all the Departments. We have already heard from the Chairs of Statutory Committees. It is very clear that there are challenges everywhere, but it would be remiss of me not to point out that the Department of Health is looking at how to deal with a challenge of close to £600 million.

There will be very many questions about capital allocations, particularly to capital projects. Speculation is already beginning over a particular capital project in the sporting field. That seems to be developing at the moment.

There is something that, I think, is important, Minister, and you could maybe comment on it in your closing remarks. I do not expect you to say anything about the CSR, because we will wait to hear what Rachel Reeves says. However, we can note today that she has mentioned the issues with the winter fuel allowance and the fact that she has walked back on that. From that, it can only be surmised that she will walk back on several other issues. Even though some Members have talked about the Labour Government's approach to continuing austerity, there seems to be a general shift away from that direction. The question that I would like the Minister to address is this: bearing in mind the constraints of the Budget (No. 2) Bill and the speed at which we do the monitoring rounds, how quickly will we be able to look at getting anything that comes from the CSR, which is likely to come through on Wednesday? How quickly before the Assembly breaks up for the summer, Minister, can you come here to explain to Members or, indeed, to Departments how those moneys are likely to be allocated so that we can look to the autumn and do some decent long-term planning? If anything in the media is to be believed, the spending review will probably look at spending that will be spread out over the next three years of the budgetary review process. I again ask the Minister to look closely at that and to engage with Departments on how we can start to plan and profile those moneys over the next three years so that, as many Members said, we can get good value for money.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:47 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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