Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect on the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland of the absence of Departmental Ministers.

People in Northern Ireland deserve locally-elected decision-makers who are working for them, to address the issues that matter most to people who live there. The failure of the parties to form an Executive is particularly disappointing given the serious situation the people of Northern Ireland are facing, particularly the £660 million black hole left in Northern Ireland’s finances.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has already met the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Jayne Brady, to discuss this and will continue to meet a range of Northern Ireland stakeholders over the coming weeks to understand the pressures facing public services. The extent of the financial pressures alongside the limitations on Northern Ireland departments to take action to bring spending under control will have serious consequences for public services. As such, the Secretary of State outlined to Parliament on Wednesday 9 November that he will introduce legislation to enable Northern Ireland departments to support public service delivery and address the serious budgetary issues.