Ulster Unionist Finance Spokesperson, Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA, has said he that he hopes the Chancellor’s Spending Review is the start of a sustained period of reinvestment in key public services rather than a one-off case of blatant electioneering.
Steve Aiken OBE MLA said:
“This is the Spending Review that the UK’s public services have been desperately waiting for.
“The situation in our schools and hospitals locally has never been so dire. Whilst a 1.8% real terms increase will not resolve all the problems, it should at least address some of the most urgent pressures.
“I suspect however were it not for the chaos in Parliament, and the almost total certainty of a looming general election, the Spending Review would have looked quite different. A one-off funding bonanza will do little to place our public services on a sustainable footing, which is why I hope this is instead the start of a multi-year period of sensible investment.
“Whilst the resource budget has increased, it’s baffling that the level of capital funding is actually set to fall by £100m, just at the time when we most need to be investing in local infrastructure.”