Northern Ireland Budget Bill

The Northern Ireland Budget Bill 2019-20 was introduced to the House of Commons on 29 October 2019. The text of the Bill and Explanatory Notes are provided on the Bill pages on the Parliamentary website. The Government’s intention is for all Commons stages of the Bill to be taken on 30 October 2019, subject to a Business of the House motion to be debated on the same day. This “fast-tracking” of the legislation is regarded as necessary because the amounts authorised and appropriated in a previous “vote on account” will begin to be exhausted from 31 October 2019.

The Bill provides for a similar procedure to the supplementary estimates presented annually to Parliament. It seeks Parliamentary approval for certain sums to be issued out of the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland for the year ending 31 March 2020. The Northern Ireland Budget Bill authorises the use of resources and issues cash to Northern Ireland departments and other public bodies. In the absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Bill therefore sets a Budget for Northern Ireland.