T1. Mr Muir asked the Minister of Finance, whose support for increased funding for the Department of Health is on the record, whether his definition extends beyond that Department to other Departments, in recognition of the fact that preventative measures are often more cost-effective by reducing health inequalities and future demand on our health and social care system. (AQT 1791/17-22)

Yes, I recognise that. Although, obviously, the lion's share of health spend is in the Health Department, there are certainly actions which could be taken in a lot of Departments that could contribute to good health and mental health, all of which would reduce the demand on health services. Some of the anti-poverty measures that we talked about earlier also make a contribution in that regard, as do transport measures and a range of others. All Departments have a responsibility in that regard. That is why the Executive have collectively prioritised health. They recognised that it was not just an area for the Health Department itself, but that we all had responsibility to try to fund it and deliver. That is why we have invited all Departments to bid with regard to health in the run-up to the draft Budget stage.

I thank the Minister for his reply. This is crucial with regard to the three-year Budget ahead. As the Minister said, the lion's share will go to the Department of Health, but I am also conscious that it is five years since the Bengoa report was published, and the enactment of those reforms has been slow. Is consideration being given to tying the increased funding to the Department of Health to the requirement to enact those necessary reforms in order to ensure that patients across Northern Ireland get the quality care that they deserve?

The Health Department is committed to the reform process. The Health Ministers, current and previous, have been committed to that reform process. One thing that we have suffered from is annual Budgets that do not allow the necessary planning and recurring funding to ensure that, for one thing, enough staff are recruited to cover that responsibility and to ensure that those reforms can carry on over a number of years. Health is, of course, already committed to that. If, as I said in response to an earlier question, the Executive are in a situation where other Departments are making a contribution, we will want to understand that the programme of reform is being followed through and that we are getting that, because there is a recognition — and Health recognises it as much as anybody — that to leave things unchanged for the next number of years would result in an ever-increasing contribution from the entire block grant to Health alone. That is not sustainable in the longer term, so reforms are absolutely necessary for the system itself and also for our public finances.