AQW 4441/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 11/10/2022
Answered On Date: 27/10/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance what representations he has had from the Minister of Education in relation to funding for the Engage Programme.

Answer:

On 22 June 2022, the Department of Education’s interim Accounting Officer at that time wrote to my Permanent Secretary to seek the Department of Finance’s approval for a Direction, given by the Education Minister, to incur expenditure in delivery of the Engage III programme (£10 million) for the period 1 September to 31 December 2022. Following an assurance which the Education Minister provided to me that this expenditure would be prioritised from the funding envelope ultimately allocated to her Department, I provided approval for the Ministerial Direction on 6 July 2022.

On 11 October 2022, the Department of Education’s Accounting Officer wrote to me seeking approval for a second Ministerial Direction which he has been given by the Education Minister, to continue the Engage III programme for the period 1 January to 31 March 2023 at a cost of £6.9 million. As departments are now collectively projecting a significant overspend against our Treasury control totals for 2022-23, and the Department of Education specifically is anticipating significant inescapable pressures beyond its baseline, I have responded to the Education Minister to explain that if I am to provide my approval for this further expenditure to be incurred, I would need a firm assurance that her department will be able to take action to ensure this additional expenditure can be funded without overspending against its final budget.