Extra cash expected for North’s health services

Extra millions are expected for the Northern Ireland Health Service when Stormont finance minister Mr Mark Durkan presents his…

Extra millions are expected for the Northern Ireland Health Service when Stormont finance minister Mr Mark Durkan presents his revised Budget to the Assembly today.

The Executive has already agreed to allocate an extra £15 million sterling to the Department of Health, which is expected to receive the lion's share of the £28 million given to Northern Ireland by British Chancellor Mr Gordon Brown last week.

Mr Durkan's budget speech will be followed by an hour-long debate. but members will not vote on the contents until December 11th.

Mr Durkan is expected to refer to next year's fundamental spending review by the British Treasury.

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Mr Brown has already expressed his intention to spend much more in improving the British National Health Service and this should have a knock-on effect for Northern Ireland.

The Barnett formula, which determines Northern Ireland's share of money from the Treasury, will be reviewed in July.

In a second statement, the minister will announce how the next round of cross-departmental Executive Programme Funds (EPF) will be spent.

The first tranche of EPFs was allocated in April. A second share-out was expected to take place in the autumn but was delayed until now because of the crisis in the Executive.

PA