Parliamentary.ai

Overview

This bill authorizes the release of funds from the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund for the years ending March 31st, 2019 and 2020. It allocates these funds to specific government departments and bodies, sets limits on the use of certain resources, and allows the Department of Finance to borrow money for the 2020 fiscal year.

Description

The bill outlines the allocation of funds (£16,822,319,000 for 2019 and £11,852,037,000 for 2020) from the Northern Ireland Consolidated Fund. These sums are appropriated for various purposes across numerous government departments including: Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; Communities; the Economy; Education; Finance; Health; Infrastructure; and Justice. Specific amounts are detailed in Schedules 1 and 3. The bill also authorizes the use of resources (excluding accruing resources) for both years, specifying amounts in Schedules 2 and 4 for each department and body. Additionally, it sets revised limits on the use of accruing resources for 2019 (Schedule 2) and grants the Department of Finance borrowing power of up to £5,926,019,000 against the 2020 appropriation. The bill clarifies that all authorizations and appropriations function as if they were approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Government Spending

The bill authorizes a total of £16,822,319,000 in spending for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2019, and £11,852,037,000 for the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2020. The Department of Finance is authorized to borrow up to an additional £5,926,019,000 for the 2020 fiscal year.

Groups Affected

The bill affects numerous groups, including:

• Northern Ireland Government Departments: Receive funding allocations for their operational budgets.
• Public Bodies: Including the Food Standards Agency, the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission, and others, receive funding and/or resource authorizations.
• Citizens of Northern Ireland: Potentially impacted by changes in government services and benefits funding.
• Businesses: Affected by spending on economic development, regulation, and support schemes.