Overview

This Bill authorizes government spending in Northern Ireland for the financial years ending 31 March 2023 and 2024. It sets spending limits, allows borrowing, and clarifies how income will be used, effectively acting as a budget for Northern Ireland in the absence of a functioning local Assembly.

Description

The Bill outlines spending plans for various Northern Ireland government departments and public bodies for the years 2023 and 2024. Specific allocations are detailed in Schedules 1 and 2 (not included in this summary, but available in the full bill), which cover a wide range of public services, including health, education, infrastructure, and justice. The bill also:

• Authorizes resource use: Sets overall spending limits for 2023 (£26,656,975,000) and 2024 (£17,404,266,000), broken down into current and capital expenditure for each department and body.
• Authorizes borrowing: Allows the Department of Finance to borrow up to £10,743,671,000 in 2023 and £7,077,369,000 in 2024 to meet spending needs.
• Governs income use: Specifies how income received by different bodies should be used, aligning it with the allocated spending purposes.
• Acts as a substitute for an Assembly Budget Act: The Bill states that its provisions will have the same legal effect as if it were passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
• Repeals superseded provisions: Removes conflicting elements from previous Budget Acts.

Government Spending

The Bill authorizes a total of £26,656,975,000 in spending for the year ending 31 March 2023 and £17,404,266,000 for the year ending 31 March 2024. This includes funds for current services and capital projects across various government departments and public bodies. The bill also allows for significant borrowing to supplement the spending. Specific departmental figures are detailed in Schedules 1 and 2, and are not included here.

Groups Affected

The Bill will affect a wide range of groups in Northern Ireland:

• Northern Ireland Departments: Their funding levels and operational capacity will be directly influenced by the Bill.
• Public Bodies and Agencies: The bill provides detailed expenditure plans for numerous public bodies, impacting their operations.
• Citizens: This will affect the provision of public services in areas such as health, education, and infrastructure.
• Businesses: The Bill's impact on the economy will affect businesses through government contracts, grants, and other schemes.

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