Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the availability of the funding required for the 5.5% pay increase recommended by the Pay Review Body for health workers in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) is being funded above its independently assessed relative need level of 124% in 2024-25 and 2025-26, including the 2024 restoration financial package. As a result of decisions taken at the Autumn Budget and Phase 1 of the Spending Review, the Northern Ireland Executive is receiving £18.2 billion in 2025-26. This represents the largest real-terms settlement since devolution.

The NIE is responsible for deciding how to allocate their funding across their devolved responsibilities, including the provision of pay awards for health workers.