Northern Ireland's Finance Minister has joined with her counterparts in Scotland and Wales to call on the UK government for greater engagement and clarity ahead of the Spending Review in November.

Arlene Foster, MLA, met with John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and the Economy for Scotland and Jane Hutt AM, Minister for Finance and Government Business in Wales in Edinburgh to discuss matters of common financial interest to the devolved administrations.

The agenda included working with the UK Government on follow-up to the Summer Budget and in the lead up to the Spending Review; constitutional developments; and investment in infrastructure.

A statement released following the meeting said that the devolved administrations have been "disappointed by the lack of communication and engagement by the UK Government in respect of its recent fiscal announcements, particularly in respect of the in-year cuts announced on 4 June as a result of the UK Government’s on-going austerity plans and measures announced in the Chancellor’s Summer Budget on 8 July".

There was agreement that the cuts were too deep and too fast. There appeared to be neither advance notice nor consideration of the implications for the devolved administrations.

Minister Foster said: "It is vitally important that Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales work together ahead of the Spending Review to ensure we get the best possible outcome for our devolved administrations. We are seeking early engagement with HM Treasury and will collectively present our agreement on pertinent issues. We will also press the Treasury to provide as much detail as possible on our settlements in advance of the Spending Review outcome to allow the devolved regions to be able to plan budgets for much needed public services."

Welsh Government Finance Minister Jane Hutt said: "It has been extremely useful to meet with the finance ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland to discuss a range of fiscal matters of common interest. It is clear from today’s meeting that we share similar concerns, in particular around the UK Government's pace of austerity and its impact, the need for clarification on measures announced in the Budget and the late timing of the Spending Review. We all also recognised the importance of boosting investment in infrastructure to support economic growth. I am very pleased that we have agreed to work together on these important issues."

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: "I will continue to work closely with my Wales and Northern Ireland counterparts to make the case for the best possible outcome from the UK Spending Review. The Scottish Government will do everything possible to mitigate the impact of the UK Government’s austerity as we focus on our priorities of growing the economy, protecting public services and tackling inequality."

(MH)