Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Autumn Statement 2014, how much VAT will be refunded to hospices in Northern Ireland; what the timescale for repayment is; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Gauke
Following the Chancellor’s announcement in the Autumn Statement that this government will refund the VAT that hospice charities incur, the government will now engage with the hospice sector, including those in Northern Ireland, in taking this policy forward to implementation.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive on ensuring adequate levels of funding for public services in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Danny Alexander
Treasury Ministers maintain regular contact with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on a range of matters of mutual interest.
The Government’s position is that Northern Ireland is funded fairly and that the Executive have sufficient resources to support public services to at least the levels in place across the rest of the United Kingdom.
Indeed, the most recently published statistics demonstrate again that identifiable spending on public services in Northern Ireland remains over £2000 per head higher than the UK average. It is for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine how to allocate their budgets in line with local priorities.