Sammy Wilson
Main Page: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)Department Debates - View all Sammy Wilson's debates with the HM Treasury
(3 days, 11 hours ago)
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Rachel Reeves
I am pleased that Stockton will be benefit from some of those investments, because pride in place is so important for all our communities. Some of the most deprived parts of the country have missed out on funding for too long, which is why we are pleased to be able to rectify that and ensure, for example through the Green Book reforms, that money goes to where it is most needed.
Sammy Wilson (East Antrim) (DUP)
First of all, I welcome the fact that, at least in real terms, the Northern Ireland budget has been maintained over the spending period, although I would point out to the Chancellor that a 0.5% real increase will not enable the Northern Ireland Executive to match the real increase in spending on health and policing which will be taking place in the rest of the United Kingdom.
May I emphasise again the preference that she has given in this budget to money for a Gaelic Athletic Association ground? In blundering into this issue, she has given the Executive a massive financial headache. She requires £50 million to be matched by funding elsewhere. The Executive will be required to find about £200 million to make up the deficit, raising expectations and, I believe, creating tension within the Executive as a result. I think it was wrong for her to try to interfere in the minutiae of spending of the Executive in that way. As a general point, maybe in the autumn many people who welcome the headlines today will be regretting the tax increases they will face to pay for the announcements today.
Rachel Reeves
The announcements today are all within the envelope that I already set out through the tax increases and the changes to the fiscal rules in autumn and then the decisions in the spring statement. All we have done today is allocate the envelope that we already set out. As I said at the time, public services would now need to live within the means that we have set at that Budget. This statement does not spend a single penny more or a single penny less than the money that was already allocated.
On the specific issue the right hon. Gentleman raises, I am very happy to pass on what he says to the Northern Ireland Secretary and to ensure that there is a meeting between the relevant Minister and the relevant Members of Parliament.