§ The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos)My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
As a consequence of additional allocations made to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety since Parliament's approval of Estimates in July 2004, the department has an additional cash requirement in respect of Health and Social Services boards and trusts.
Parliamentary approval for additional cash to finance these services is currently being sought in a supplementary estimate for DHSSPS. Pending that approval, urgent cash needs, estimated at £143 million, will be met by repayable advances from the NI consolidated fund.