AQW 16539/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 10/10/2024
Answered On Date: 29/10/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Finance whether any consideration is being given to introducing a preventative expenditure working group to identify how best to utilise budgets across Departments to achieve societal change, such as ending paramilitarism or ending homelessness.

Answer:

I would be happy to consider any proposals from departments to participate in a preventative expenditure working group.

I would encourage all departments to work collaboratively to drive societal change. In terms of funding, Departments may fund joint programmes from their existing baseline or may bid for additional funding through the Budget process. Each department may bid separately, or a lead department may bid on behalf of departments. It is then a matter for the Executive to consider which bids can be prioritised given the funding available.

In terms of ending paramilitarism, an Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime has been in place since 2016. This cross Departmental Programme is chaired by the Head of the Civil Service and comprises representatives from Departments and Agencies who can deliver societal change in tackling this issue. The Executive provided £8 million in the 2024-25 Budget to support this work, along with an additional £1.5 million of funding to The Executive Office in June Monitoring. Funding for the Programme has also been provided by the British Government.

In relation to homelessness, the Housing Executive has a statutory responsibility and has published its Homelessness Strategy 2022-27. To aid the Housing Executive, in June Monitoring, I along with Executive Colleagues, provided an additional £20 million for the social housing development programme and a further £2 million Financial Transactions Capital (FTC) was provided for the ‘Move-on’ accommodation scheme, which supports those who have been experiencing homelessness. I also have encouraged the Communities Minister to make more use of the FTC funding that is available. Our joint ambition is to do more, and the further use of FTC has the potential to be part of the long-term solution, reflecting the shared priority set out in the draft Programme for Government around providing more social, affordable and sustainable housing.

As Homelessness is strongly linked to poverty, it is essential that we as an Executive work closely together in developing an agreed Anti-Poverty Strategy. I look forward to the Communities Minister providing his draft Anti-Poverty Strategy, which we as an Executive can then consider.