Ulster Unionist Party Finance spokesperson, Dr. Steve Aiken OBE MLA, reaffirmed the party would not support the latest stage of the Budget Bill.

Speaking in the Assembly during the Budget Bill debate, Dr. Aiken said.

“The UUP will be voting against the final reading of this bill. As a party we have consistently pointed out that the budget provisions are insufficient to cover the critical requirements for our health service. While it may be only nine months since the all-party talks, that many of us sat through, when every party agreed that health was the priority, the subsequent budget provisions not only went against those priorities but when originally presented, made a real-terms cut in resources for health.

“While we welcome the additional funding that came in the June/July monitoring round, it was still far short of what is required to deal with the critical challenges that we face.

“This was also before the draft Programme for Government was published. 

“We are aware of the negotiations between the departments & Finance Minister. But again, there is no acknowledgment of the level of need and prioritisation that Health, and indeed, other hard-pressed services, like the PSNI, are under. 

“The Finance Minister then wrote to Ministers and informed our committee that she was proceeding with spending allocations based on discussions with His Majesties Treasury, acknowledging that this was at ‘risk’ based on likely allocations on the supplementary estimates post the budget next month. 

“This additional level of funding is in the region of £500 million - £250M of which we would reasonably expect to come to health.

“As a Finance spokesperson and from questions put by our Party representatives, we have repeatedly queried the level of confidence that the Minister has in assurances from the Treasury.

“I wish to make clear that I am in no way calling into question the Ministers’ belief or her integrity in reporting her exchanges.

“However, as MLA’s, we must all call into question the assurances from this government. 3 weeks ago, I attended a conference in Oxford and heard the Secretary of State wax lyrically about the benefits of major projects in Northern Ireland, powered by the City Deals amongst others. Alongside the Tanaiste, we had the famous reset emphasised.

“Less than a week later the City Deal was paused, then parts of it reinstated, and when the issue was raised by the Finance Minister, she was told to discuss it with the Chief Secretary of the Treasury - a discussion which I understand has yet to happen.

“It is our opinion, and should be of concern to others, that basing a budget on an additional £500 million, on the assumption of assurances from a Treasury which will not engage on City Deals, must be suspect.

“So where are we today? First - even with the budget allocations we have, we do not have the resources for what nine months ago, was our number one priority, health. 

“Secondly - even if we have the additional £500 million that is hypothecated, those challenges will remain. However, based on the debacle of the City Deals, what real confidence can there actually be in the receiving of that additional funding? Especially with a government that is quite happy to remove the winter fuel allowance whilst clothing themselves in freebie suits. 

“Thirdly, and I say this specifically to other parties in the Executive, we have the Chief Constable having to write to the Prime Minister because the PSNI has been starved of resources, and has raised very real concerns about his ability to maintain public safety. This, coupled with the very real concerns that we have expressed about maintaining the health of our constituents, must show that we cannot accept the unacceptable. 

“Rather than writing letters of censure we should all be joining together in rejecting this budget that does not & cannot deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.”