To ask the Minister of Finance whether she intends to establish an independent commission to make recommendations pertaining to Northern Ireland's funding formula and fiscal framework.

ANSWER

I am meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (CST) later this week where I will be pressing for urgent and substantive engagement on how we develop and implement a new Fiscal Framework in time for the next Spending Review. The immediate priority in this will be agreeing the basis of a needs-based Fiscal Floor that is fairly needs-based and appropriately baselined. I will be considering how best this work can be informed by expert advice and analysis on the level of need in the North to ensure public services can be sustainably funded going forward.