Minister, you labelled me "partitionist" earlier. In the spirit of robust debate in the Chamber, you are fully entitled to do so, but I am not the one who pursues one policy on one side of the border and another policy north of the border. You mentioned the Irish Government's €13 billion surplus. That is correct. Would it not be great if we were one state and able to spend that money? Until that date, what are you, specifically as Finance Minister, doing to take more power so that the UK Government and Treasury cannot have this baleful power over how we spend money. You are very good at explaining the limitations to the Treasury —.

A question, Mr O'Toole.

I will get there, Mr Deputy Speaker. However, you are not so good at saying to the House which fiscal powers you will take —.

Mr O'Toole, will you close your question and resume your seat?

T1. Mr O'Toole asked the Minister of Finance to outline specifically what he is doing to take new fiscal powers as Finance Minister so that the UK Government and Treasury cannot have such baleful power over how the Executive spend money. (AQT 1321/22-27)

I thought that I had welcomed the fact that you were moving beyond partitionism. If I did not say that, that is what I meant to say.

You and I have this repetitive conversation every time we meet in the Chamber. I place this on the record so that it is clear: my focus is on getting the Department of Finance and the Executive through the spending review. It is the most significant fiscal event for, perhaps, five or 10 years. It is only right and proper that I use my energies and time in this period to steer us through the spending review. When I get us through it, I intend to look at fiscal devolution and at what powers should be devolved at each stage of that journey, because I believe that it will be a journey. It will not be like the Big Bang theory. It will be a journey. Let us get through the spending review, and then you and I, I am sure, will have many debates in the Chamber on, among other issues, the next phase of fiscal transition and the maturing of this institution in relation to its tax powers.

'The Big Bang Theory' is also a sitcom. A lot of comedy happens in the Chamber, but I want to see some serious business too. You keep saying, "Mañana, mañana" or "After the spending review". The most recent Budget, which we are debating today, offers a capital settlement of £335 million for waste water. That is barely a 2% increase. Will we see a long-term plan to increase investment in waste water this year?

That question is best posed to the Infrastructure Minister. All Ministers will bring forward five-year sustainability plans, as the Member will be aware, and we have the three-year spending plan and four-year capital budgets. Your question is best posed to the Minister for Infrastructure. All Ministers will have to look at their forward spending programme, because I want to see the three-year Budget as a transformational Budget, rather than being a case of simply dividing the Budget by three and moving forward. I want to see transformation being at the core of the three-year Budget. Those are my principles when I look at it. Questions about individual Ministers' responsibilities are best posed to them.