8. Mr Mathison asked the Minister of Finance for an update on the timescale of the June monitoring round. (AQO 2011/22-27)

The deadline for departmental June monitoring returns is Thursday 5 June 2025, with Executive consideration expected by mid-to-late June. The Barnett consequentials confirmed in the Chancellor's spring statement, combined with confirmed Barnett consequentials in respect of employers' National Insurance contributions, have resulted in £158·5 million resource DEL and £2·4 million capital DEL being available in June monitoring. The Executive agreed how that funding would be allocated as part of the Budget, and the allocations have been presented in the final Budget 2025-26 as indicative June monitoring allocations. That includes allocations to support Programme for Government priorities including childcare, waiting lists, special educational needs, making communities safer and Lough Neagh. It also includes general allocations to help Departments address the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions.

I thank the Minister for his answer. Can he provide any more detail on how far the June monitoring allocations will go to alleviate the pressures that he referenced from employers' National Insurance contributions in the public sector?

The Executive decided to use the allocations of around £146 million that came from Barnett consequentials in relation to National Insurance contributions more strategically than simply salami-slicing them and handing them out to Departments. For instance, the £50 million that went to Health to add up to the £215 million to tackle waiting lists and for elective care centres is attributable to that funding. Funding for Lough Neagh and for skills etc is attributable to it. Departments then received an allocation beyond that. How Departments use that allocation is a matter for them. They are best placed to report on how they used it and how it helped to alleviate National Insurance contributions pressures. I am not suggesting that the funding available will support Departments in full, but the decisions are theirs.

Minister, in your previous answer, you talked about much-needed funds for childcare. How much funding will be allocated to childcare in June monitoring?

Between June monitoring and the Budget this year, we will increase our childcare and early years strategy funding to £50 million, doubling it from last year. That is a significant strategic move and investment by the Executive. We have also committed to ensuring that £5 million will go on top of that as part of the June monitoring round, which means that the Executive have allocated a total of £55 million towards the early years strategy and childcare this year.