28/09/2010

Wilson Sounds Stormont Budget Warning

Ahead of new month's UK Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) - that could mean a cut of up to £2bn in the NI budget - it has emerged that an alleged failure by some Stormont ministers to cooperate with the Finance Minister's plans may delay the publication of his own draft budget.

The DUP Minister, Sammy Wilson, said yesterday that he wanted to publish it just after the CSR on 20 October.

He said this would have allowed Assembly committees until early December to examine the proposals.

Now, Mr Wilson said some have been "extremely slow" to engage with the Executive's Budget Review Group.

The CSR will outline how much the UK will spend over the next four years, as well as how much Whitehall departments and the devolved administrations must save.

To date, only four (DUP-controlled) Stormont departments had so far delivered their proposed savings.

(BMcC/KMcA)

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