Executive Decisions Revealed

This week's meeting of the Stormont Executive has again halted the imposition of water charges.

There will still be no water charges next year, saving the average household around £160.

The Executive, meeting at Stormont Castle, was told that financial negotiations in Downing Street earlier in the week led to an additional £400 million in this and next year financial year, including allowing water bills to be deferred again.

In terms of the wider issues facing the Executive, the Prime Minister also agreed to make available £100 million to address a range of issues.

The economic downturn also featured heavily at yesterday's meeting with a lengthy discussion about the global economic downturn with the next meeting on Thursday, November 27, devoted to ways to help cushion the effects.

Ministers have been asked to submit their fully 'costed' proposals to that meeting.

The Executive also agreed to raise the number of meetings between now and Christmas at which the economy will be a key agenda item and said that the December monitoring process is to be accelerated.

The Assembly is therefore to be asked to delay its Christmas recess.

Meanwhile, there was Executive approval of new planning guidelines that will "both protect the rural environment and provide a boost for the building trade", according to the Minister responsible, Sammy Wilson, who was commenting on the issue this morning.

He said that Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 21 will replace PPS 14 and remove some of the restrictions imposed by Direct Rule Ministers.

He claimed the new policy will allow some planning applications previously refused to be reversed, although the criteria for building to be allowed has already been criticised as being too narrow.

Other issues tackled was the establishment of the Education and Skills Authority which is a key part of the Review of Public Administration.

Ministers said that the creation of a single authority will raise standards and deal with underachievement and gain savings of £20 million by the third year.

Finally, the Ministers also approved the scrapping of prescriptions charges proposed by the Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. The cost of a prescription will be reduced to £3 in January and then will be free of charge by April 2010.

Prepayment certificates will also come down in price, from £35.85 to £9 for four months and from £98.70 to £25 for 12 months until prescriptions are free.

However, one issue not discussed was last night's rejection by the NI Policing Board of a PSNI cost-cutting plan to meet shortfalls which the Board has referred to the NIO, claiming the shortfall is outside their remit for day-to-day running of the force.

(BMcC)