Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the adequacy of resources for tackling NHS waiting times in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Government stands ready to support the Executive to reduce unacceptably long waiting times. The Government has made £3.3bn available to the Executive to spend on its priorities, including over £30m to address healthcare waiting lists.
I am clear that tackling waiting lists and stabilising health services in Northern Ireland is the start of a much bigger challenge in transforming services for the longer term. Innovative strategic thinking is needed to find solutions that will balance budgets and improve all public services across Northern Ireland. The Government is excited to work with Executive Ministers on plans that will deliver for Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps his Department is taking to support women in Northern Ireland with the cost of living crisis.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
We have taken decisive action to help UK households tackle increases in the cost of living. Women across Northern Ireland will benefit from our package of measures, including energy bill support and support for the most vulnerable, including an additional £900 Cost of Living Payment in 2023-24 for households on means-tested benefits.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
What assessment he has made of the effect of Budget 2021 on the ability of the Northern Ireland Executive to reduce NHS waiting times in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Robin Walker
It is clear that waiting times in Northern Ireland are too long and the Executive has committed to the transformation of the health service and tackling waiting times.
Naturally, the Executive’s focus over the last year has been on responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. But, as we now recover from the pandemic, I know the Executive will want to build back better and I welcome the fact that the Executive’s Health Minister yesterday set out his plan to tackle these waiting times by 2026. That is why it is important we continue to see the Executive in place to deliver for all the people of Northern Ireland.
In support of this, the UK Government is providing substantial funding to enable the Executive to deliver excellent public services, with £15.6bn provided in 2021/22. This is in addition to £445m explicitly to support the transformation of public services from NDNA and Confidence and Supply.