AQO 90/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 15/02/2024
Answered On Date: 27/02/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance whether the UK Government's financial settlement, published on 13 February 2024, will have any impact on previous funding commitments arising from the Fresh Start Agreement for shared and integrated education.

Answer:

£150 million of the Fresh Start funding package for shared education and shared housing has been re-packaged by the British Government into the funding accompanying the restoration of the Executive.

Some shared and integrated education projects that were initially being considered to progress using Fresh Start funding have not yet become contractually committed. Fresh Start funding will no longer be available to take forward these projects.

It will now a matter for the Executive to determine allocations for departments, including Capital allocations to the Department of Education in its Budget for 2024-25.