Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 9 of his Department's Guidance on decision-making for Northern Ireland Departments until an Executive is formed or for the six month period beginning with the day on which the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022 is passed (6 December), published on 19 December 2022, CP 766, for what reason an increase in Housing Benefit Annually Managed Expenditure was granted to the Department for Communities in February 2023.

The UK Government funds Northern Ireland Executive Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) programmes if they offer broadly similar terms to the equivalent UK Government programme.

As AME programmes are usually demand led, AME forecasts are periodically updated to ensure necessary funding is provided.