Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether discussions that officials of his Department had with officials of the Northern Ireland Executive included (a) budgetary challenges facing the Executive during 2015 and (b) the escalated spending exposure under the Northern Ireland non-domestic renewable heat incentive scheme.
Answered by David Gauke
Treasury officials regularly discuss matters of mutual interest with their counterparts in the devolved administrations. At relevant points in time, those discussions will have covered each of the matters highlighted.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions officials of his Department have had with officials of the Northern Ireland Executive on (a) the Autumn Statement 2015 and (b) the settlement letter referring to the costs of Northern Ireland's non-domestic renewable heat incentive scheme.
Answered by David Gauke
Treasury officials regularly discuss matters of mutual interest with their counterparts in the devolved administrations. At relevant points in time, those discussions will have covered each of the matters highlighted.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether AME funding for the Northern Ireland non-domestic renewable heat incentive continued on an interrupted basis from 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2015.
Answered by David Gauke
The Treasury’s role is to set an annual budget allocation for renewable heat schemes in Northern Ireland proportionate to the budget provided to the department which manages similar schemes in Great Britain. Administering the scheme, including the disbursal of payments to recipients, is the responsibility of the relevant Northern Ireland Executive departments.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether any misuse of funds attached to the uptake of the Northern Ireland non-domestic renewable heating incentive was confined to devolved spending only and did not entail use of AME funds.
Answered by David Gauke
All spending on the Northern Ireland Renewable Heat Incentive is ‘devolved spending’ in respect of the Northern Ireland Executive’s devolved responsibilities.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) his Department and (b) the National Audit Office were notified that the Northern Ireland Department for Finance and Personnel had declined to give retrospective approval for spending on the non-domestic renewable heat incentive scheme from 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2015.
Answered by David Gauke
Neither the Treasury, nor the NAO, would expect to be notified of interactions between departments of the Northern Ireland Executive in relation to internal Northern Ireland Executive spending approval processes.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury had with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on (a) the Autumn Statement 2015 and (b) his subsequent Settlement Letter referring to the costs of Northern Ireland's non-domestic renewable heat incentive scheme.
Answered by David Gauke
Chief Secretaries to the Treasury regularly discuss matters of mutual interest, including annual fiscal events, with Northern Ireland Finance Ministers. However, no such discussions took place on the costs of Northern Ireland renewable heating schemes, including in the context of the settlement letter which followed the 2015 Spending Review and Autumn Statement.
Asked by: Mark Durkan (Social Democratic & Labour Party - Foyle)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether discussions between Ministers of his Department and Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive on budgetary challenges facing the Executive during 2015 included the escalated spending exposure under the Northern Ireland non-domestic renewable heat incentive scheme.
Answered by David Gauke
Treasury ministers did not discuss the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme with Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive in 2015. The Treasury’s role is to set a budget allocation for renewable heat schemes in Northern Ireland proportionate to the budget provided to the department which manages similar schemes in Great Britain. It is for the Executive to meet any costs in excess of that budget from its block grant or the other resources available to it.