Public Services

Gavin Robinson, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast East, asked the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Fleur Anderson, what steps the government plans to take to support public services in Northern Ireland. In her response, Fleur Anderson expressed her delight at being appointed to the role and her commitment to working closely with the Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to transform public services in the region. She stated that she will be meeting with the First and Deputy First Ministers, as well as the Northern Ireland Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, the following day. Gavin Robinson welcomed the Minister of State and Secretary of State to their positions, acknowledging their commitment to effective public services and the stability of the institutions in Northern Ireland. However, he cautioned that the fiscal framework announced in December on an interim basis does not solve the problems faced, and even the stabilisation money agreed in December has already been forecast as necessary to sustain pay in Northern Ireland. He urged the Minister of State to engage earnestly with the government's previous statements and recognize that to provide good public services in Northern Ireland, the government needs to not only sustain but also transform them. In response, Fleur Anderson agreed with the MP, stating that money has been allocated specifically for the transformation of public services to improve service delivery outcomes. She highlighted that in Northern Ireland, three in 10 people are on an NHS waiting list, compared to one in 10 in England, and this figure needs to be transformed for better health outcomes. She assured the MP that she will be discussing funding with the Executive Ministers, but also other ways in which the government's doors are open, and they are determined to work together to transform public services.