Government ready to impose budget amid Ulster deadlock
PREPARATIONS ARE being made guage rights is one of the biggest THE BUSINESS Secretary has refor the UK Government to impose crisis points. fused to guarantee that flagship a budget on Northern Ireland by He said it was unlikely the Storplans to cap energy bills will be in the end of the month, James Bromont Executive could be revived place by next winter. kenshire has said. in time for Northern Ireland’s Customers are paying
The Secretary of State said the politicians to determine the £1.4bn a year over the odds and move stopped short of direct rule budget by the end of the month. Prime Minister Theresa May has and that he would abandon the Mr Brokenshire said the latest promised to fix the “broken” market.ideaiftheDemocraticUnionistdeadlineshouldnotbeseenasa Party and Sinn Fein could reach a reason to abandon the negotiaBut Greg Clark repeatedly sidedeal in that time. tions. stepped questions over whether
Mr Brokenshire said Northern “Let me be clear, this is not a changes would be made by the Ireland would begin to run out of barrier to continued political neend of 2018. money by the end of November. gotiations and the Government He told MPs that he still want
“No government could simply will continue to work with the ed regulator Ofgem to use its powstand by and allow that to happarties with that intent,” he said. ers to set a price cap for the whole pen,” he said. “And indeed, however unlikely, market, despite the regulator in
“I am, therefore, now taking should an Executive be formed dicating it is unlikely to because it forward the necessary steps that speedily enough and a means believes energy companies would would enable a Budget Bill to be could be created to provide an exchallenge the decision. introduced at Westminster at ceptional procedure to enable the “I’ve been very clear I would the appropriate moment in order budget to be passed by the end of much prefer them to use the powto protect the delivery of public November I would be prepared ers they have,” he told the Busiservices in Northern Ireland.” to withdraw the Budget Bill in orness, Energy and Industrial Strat
The DUP and Sinn Fein failed der for Assembly to legislate for egy select committee. to meet Mr Brokenshire’s origiitself.” Mr Clark published draft legisnal Monday deadline for a powMr Brokenshire urged the parlation for an absolute cap on “ripersharing deal, with Stormont efties to secure a deal. off” energy tariffs last month. fectively in limbo since January. “It remains firmly in the interAsked if he believed there
Mr Brokenshire said he was ests of Northern Ireland to see would be a cap in place for all 14 taking legal advice on whether devolved government restored, million customers by next winmembers of the legislative asto see locally elected politicians ter, he said he would “like to do sembly (MLAs) should keep bemaking decisions for the people this as soon as possible”. ing paid. Last month he said he of Northern Ireland,” he said. Pressed again, the Cabinet minister said he was being asked to speculate but insisted legislation would be in “prime shape to make rapid process” through parliament.
Labour’s Rachel Reeves, who chairs the committee, said: “I think it is disappointing that you can’t give greater assurances from the Government that something that was in the manifestos of both main parties and does have this cross-party support can’t be guaranteed that it will go through next year.” was considering new laws on the issue of salaries – £49,500 a year, or about £41,250 in the months since Stormont has been shut.
The Secretary of State said important progress has been made in the talks, which are continuing, but the issue of Irish lan-