The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris, has met with the Head of the Civil Service, Jayne Brady.
Following the meeting, he reiterated that he intends to push on with revenue-raising options. It was revealed two months ago that he had written to the civil service asking for advice on budget-raising measures.
The NI secretary spoke to media today following the meeting: “I asked for a lot of information from the Northern Ireland Civil Service who have done a tonne of work on this revenue-raising piece and answered the questions”
“I’m minded to go ahead with the public consultations, but I want to actually read what’s been presented to me to make sure I am making the right decisions.”
The secretary said he has received 350 pages from civil servants. The document covers areas such as water charges and higher tuition fees.
He said he is “acutely aware” that the ongoing absence of a Stormont Executive is “exasperating the challenges facing all public services across Northern Ireland”.
