MLA warns over cash cuts method
FINANCE minister Sammy Wilson has defended himself after his announcement of budget cuts for next year drew criticism from the Ulster Unionist Party.
UUP finance spokesman David McNarry MLA said the 370 million worth of cuts in the coming financial plan should be made on the basis of the overall economic situation, and not just on Departmental priorities.
"The danger of our system is that Departments identify cuts which are based on Departmental priorities and not on overall Northern Ireland priorities," Mr McNarry said.
"This could mean that a programme in one Department which was a far higher priority for the people of Northern Ireland was cut while a programme in another Department which was of far less importance to the people of Northern Ireland remained untouched. This would not be a good outcome."
Mr McNarry was critical of the minister's approach to the whole financial picture.
"The only way to address this situation is to rewrite the Programme for Government, which my party has been calling for over the past year.
"The situation for our economy, our public services and people's needs and priorities has changed enormously due to the recession. It will only be through a rewrite of the Programme for Government to reflect current conditions that new, overall Northern Ireland priorities – as opposed to Stormont Departmental priorities – can be properly established.
"Sammy Wilson has said that he will be bringing any proposed cuts before the Assembly. In that exercise, it is important not just to have openness and transparency, it is also important that the contribution to the cuts each individual Department has to make is spelt out in some detail.
"When will we be hearing from the individual ministers on this and on the cuts they propose to bring forward?
"In his pre-budget statement the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, chose to protect frontline services. It appears that Sammy Wilson is not following this wise course of action."
Mr Wilson defended his approach to what is being seen as inevitable belt-tightening.
He said: "I intend to set out full details to the Assembly of the Executive's proposals in respect of revised spending plans for 2010-11 early in the New Year.
"Although it will be for individual ministers to determine how savings are to be made, I have previously highlighted to my ministerial colleagues the need to consider reductions in unnecessary bureaucracy in the first instance.
"However, I find Mr McNarry's reference to Alistair Darling protecting frontline services rather strange given the Chancellor of the Exchequer's decision in the 2009 Budget to cut the funding to public services in the UK by 5 billion in 2010-11, with over half of this to come from health."
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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