AQO 303/22-27


Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim


Tabled Date: 11/04/2024
Answered On Date: 22/04/2024
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Justice for her assessment of the budgetary situation facing her Department in 2024-25.


Answer:
Alongside the Departments of Health and Education, my Department is facing the most significant level of budget pressures in 2024-25.   
 
My Department has submitted Resource bids to the Department of Finance for pressures of approximately £444m in order to maintain existing services. 
 
This includes £217m of stabilisation pressures arising from increased legal aid requirements, additional demand on courts, prisons and police services, pay and pension increases and inflationary costs.  
 
It also includes exceptional pressures of £227m, outside the direct control of my Department, relating to legal claims arising from the PSNI data breach, holiday pay and McCloud injury to feelings.  
 
My Department’s Capital needs are estimated at £122m in 2024-25 for inescapable and high priority projects. The support and funding of all our projects is key if we are to maintain a modern justice system, which protects the vulnerable and facilitates access to justice. 
 
My Department is now facing a situation where: 
 
Police numbers are at the lowest level since formation, and over 1,000, approximately 15%, below the 7,500 aspiration in New Decade, New Approach; 
the Prison population is now 500, 35%, higher than three years ago; and 
Legal aid payments are forecast to be 30% higher than the baseline budget. 
 
There is now simply nowhere else that we can pull back on costs in order to meet our pressures, particularly as the majority of my Department’s Resource budget is truly inescapable with 69% staff costs and 30% statutory or contractually committed. 
 
Until a budget is set for 2024-25 by the Executive, I cannot be definitive about the impact on my Department’s spending areas. 
 
However, in the absence of sufficient additional funding being provided, I cannot currently foresee a situation where a balanced budget can be set without significant deterioration in public services and lasting damage to citizens.