Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial implications for Northern Ireland of the failure to form an Executive following the elections on 5 May: and whether they plan to introduce an emergency budget for Northern Ireland.
The ongoing political situation in Northern Ireland is very disappointing. There is around £437m of additional funding, on top of the Block Grant, that the Government has made available but which has not been allocated to services as a result of the absence of an Executive. The setting of a budget is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive - that is why our priority is for the Northern Ireland Parties to restore fully functioning devolved institutions as soon as possible.