Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“The statement from the Sinn Fein Finance Minister on the January monitoring round reveals a number of significant facts:-
- there is over another £200m extra to Stormont from U.K. Treasury in Barnett consequentials;
- Stormont departments have been unable to spend all the funds they had, with £140.5 million Resource DEL, £3.1 Ring-fenced Resource DEL, £57.0 million Capital DEL and £2.8m Financial Transaction Capital, all returned unspent;
- Departments bids for extra money fell well short of the pot available, for example £245.9m Resource Del was available, but collectively the departments only bid for £146.7m, leaving £100m unable to be spent, and with £100.5m Capital Del available, bids only totalled £4.6m.
At a time of need in many sectors, this all speaks to poor financial management by the Executive and rather rebuts the Sinn Fein refrain of ‘Tory austerity’!
“The other compelling story out of the ministers statement is the confirmation of how much it is costing to just implement the Union-dismantling Protocol. £39.0 million Resource DEL and £6.3 million Capital DEL funding has been provided for the costs that will be incurred implementing the Protocol. This is almost £50m to fetter our trade with GB. This is scandalous.”