Business resumed.

I thank the Minister for his statement and for attending the Albert basin site in Newry with me last Friday. I welcome the announcement of his allocation of £16·3 million for the development of a city park in Newry, which will be an absolute game changer. Does he agree that this will be a huge asset to the community in Newry and will transform our community for generations to come?

I thank the Member for the question. She knows, as I do, that this has been an ambition for the people of Newry for many, many years. It is one of the most significant towns across the North — probably across the island — that does not have a city centre park facility for families, younger people, older people and all generations to go to and enjoy, particularly at the waterfront location where the site for the park will be. It was, indeed, very welcome not only that the funding was awarded for it but that the Department for Communities is and will be involved in the project with the council, which will give support to the council. I look forward to moving from that approval stage to the rapid implementation of the park so that we see this resource and asset in the city centre of Newry for, as you say, generations to come.

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, the Belfast black taxis in my constituency are an invaluable asset to my community, but they have been hit badly by the pandemic. What provision is in the Budget for black taxis?

That is primarily a matter for the Department for Infrastructure. As part of the discussion on the Budget, it put in a bid for concessionary fares, which we agreed to ring-fence. Undoubtedly, the black taxi service, given that it relies on and works with the community of west Belfast, and, indeed, across Belfast, will have suffered as a consequence of much-reduced movement under the restrictions. I know that black taxis are a very important community asset in west Belfast in particular, so I look to the Department for Infrastructure to engage with them to ensure that they are supported in the time ahead. The Executive provided a range of sectors with support through the experience of the pandemic, and I know from visiting many of them that, but for that support, a lot of them would not be in business now. I look forward to the Department for Infrastructure's continued engage with the black taxi service.

You earlier spoke about imposing 2% efficiencies across a number of Departments. Can you confirm whether those efficiencies will apply to the Department of Health before it receives the extra finances?

Yes. The Department of Health will be asked to achieve 2% efficiencies over the three-year period. The difference is that it will be able to recycle those efficiency savings back into the Department. We want and expect to see a Department such as Health, with a Budget to match a three-year plan, achieve significant efficiencies, but, as I said, Health will be allowed to recycle them back into the Department.

Thank you, Finance Minister, for the draft Budget. I was pleased to see the financial allocation to implement the recommendations of the truth recovery design panel's report on mother-and-baby homes. There is a little bit of concern amongst the women and adoptees that a lot of that funding could be taken up by admin and back-room costs. What reassurance can you give them that the allocation is for front-line services to support them?

For victims' payments — we have an ongoing issue in discussions with the Treasury about those — it seemed to me that the way in which that system was set up ensured that the admin costs would be kept to a lower level and that the maximum cost allocation from that scheme would be to the people who were to be awarded compensation.

The scheme was delivered by TEO in conjunction with the Department of Justice, and I want to make sure that lessons are learned from it, because it is key that admin be kept to a minimum. It is about recognising the pain, the hurt and the injustice that was done to those families and individuals over many years. If we are to follow through on their experiences, and I am glad that the Executive Office committed to following through, we need to ensure that the lion's share of the money goes directly to those people.

The Minister has proclaimed that it is not unusual for a Budget to go out to consultation without the express endorsement of an Executive vote. The difference this time is that there has been, from what I can glean, the express public disapproval of the majority of parties on the Executive for this proposed Budget. Does that therefore mean that the real political horse-trading that will shape the Budget has yet to come? What is the consequence of that for the holding of a consultation, when it is clear that it is the political haggling that will shape the Budget?

The Budget went out for consultation with a vote in the Executive. The majority of Executive members voted to support the beginning of the consultation. The DUP voted against its going out to consultation. We have heard, as you would expect to, from Ministers about the Departments that they currently represent. In my opening discussion with Executive colleagues, I said, "We are setting a Budget for an incoming Executive. At that stage, it may be that no one sitting around this table is in the position in which they are in now".

We needed to take off our departmental silo hats and figure out a way of matching the collective priorities that the Executive set themselves. That is what I attempted to do in the Budget. It is out for public consultation, and of course there is further discussion to be had with Ministers, but the core proposition of the Budget remains. If the Executive are to prioritise Health, as we have said collectively and repeatedly since we came into office prior to the pandemic, there is only one way in which to do that with a finite Budget. That is to make the funding available to Health by taking it from other Departments. That is the central proposition.

I am not sure how that could change without us deprioritising Health, taking the money back from it and from tackling waiting lists, cancer services, mental health strategies and transformation costs. That is the only change that could be made. The moneys would then go back into other Departments for other public services. Ultimately, that is a decision that the Executive and the Assembly will have to make. However, I am very committed to the priority that I set in the Budget to prioritise Health and to see that followed through.

The Minister will know that there is huge public scepticism in the ability of the Department for Infrastructure to deliver on major road infrastructure projects. The A5 was mentioned earlier. Some £60 million has been spent on that and not a bit of tar has been laid. Also, £21·4 million has been spent on the York Street interchange, and no progress has been made on that project. Does the Minister agree that that is an important infrastructure project? What confidence could anyone reading the draft Budget have in the delivery of key projects such as the York Street interchange?

Undoubtedly, some projects run into difficulties as attempts are made to deliver them. The A5 should have been delivered many years ago. It was held up by various objections and tribunals to hear those objections. That was regrettable. As outlined by my colleague earlier, people continue to die along that stretch of road because it is very dangerous. As someone who travels along the Westlink most mornings, I understand full well the importance of the York Street interchange project.

However, look at all the capital projects that the Department for Infrastructure delivered over the past number of years, even though we had a challenging report and there are lessons to be learned. Look at the broad range of capital projects that the Executive have delivered on time and on budget. You can, of course, pick out the ones that had particular problems.

It is important that we get capital right. Capital allocations will be a challenge, particularly in year 3 of the Budget. Nonetheless, Departments have to do things better and deliver better.

Those are important projects, and I look forward to them being developed. There is a good track record across a range of projects. We need to make sure that best practice, in its entirety, is put into projects that have struggled over time.

No other Members have indicated that they wish to ask a question. I ask Members to take their ease for a few moments. We will then move to the next item of business on the agenda.