To ask the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail whether or not the proportion of funding for tackling child poverty, set out in the United Kingdom Comprehensive Spending Review, and allocated to Northern Ireland under the Barnett formula, will be ring fenced for this sole purpose, similar to the allocation in England, Scotland and Wales.

Tackling poverty and indeed child poverty requires a co-ordinated plan of actions across a range of departmental programmes including employment, education, health and social development. It is not anticipated therefore that resources within the Northern Ireland Block allocation will be ring fenced solely for this purpose. It is expected however that Departments will, in line with previous practice, continue to skew efforts and resources towards those in greatest objective need.

This will ensure that tackling poverty and child poverty will be prioritised and mainstreamed within the departmental public expenditure planning process.

Junior Ministers, in their role of particular responsibility for children, will continue to lobby ministers in other departments to ensure this is the case.