T2. Mr Allister asked the Minister of Finance, in light of the fact that section 64(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is very clear and states that the Minister of Finance "shall, before the beginning of each financial year, lay before the Assembly a draft budget", whether she has considered the legal consequences of her flagrant breach of the statutory duty that the law places on her. (AQT 152/22-27)

The Member will be aware of the challenges facing the Assembly and the Executive with the time frame for the Budget for the previous financial year and also for this financial year. He will also be aware that the same section of the 1998 Act requires that I lay a statement in the Assembly after I have been informed by the Secretary of State of the funding for the incoming financial year, and I did that prior to Easter.

The Minister has not answered the question. What are the legal consequences of her flagrant breach of the statutory duty under section 64(1) to lay a Budget? What example is it to set our citizens if we say to them, "The Minister can defy the law, but you must obey the law that this Assembly made"?

I have clearly laid out the time frame for when I intend to lay a Budget before the Assembly. I have set it out in a number of the debates that we have had on the Budget since the Assembly and the Executive were restored. Obviously, these are not ideal circumstances. I have been very upfront about that, but we have to deal with the circumstances that we are in. We will be working at pace to bring forward a Budget in the coming weeks.