Sinn Féin call on Hain to examine NIO costs
Sinn Féin Economy Spokesperson, Mitchel McLaughlin has called on the British
Secretary
of State Peter Hain to examine the annual costs of the NIO and MoD
to
release efficiency savings that can be targeted on improving frontline
public
services. Mr McLaughlin said:
"The latest expenditure figures for
the NIO and MoD are £1,025 million and
682 million respectively.
Peter Hain says he wants to look at the
expenditure of all government
departments, and while many are suspicious
that this is not good news
for public services, the logic must be that he
also examines the £1.7
billion expenditure in this area.
"The return of the local
institutions and progress on demilitarisation would
suggest that there
is a huge amount of potential in cutting back on the NIO
and military
spending in order to direct money into frontline public
services.
"No-one
can escape the reality that much of the opposition to political
progress
is directed by the spooks and spies operating from within the NIO.
These
are clearly people with a vested interest in blocking political
progress
because they recognise that as we move forward that their jobs will
become
superfluous.
"Further progress on the transfer of policing and
justice powers to locally
accountable ministers will further strip away
the need to maintain the NIO.
This only reinforces the perception that
it is these vested interests that
are standing in the way of progress,
particularly through the use of the
corrupt political elements within
the policing and security system.
Note to Editors
TABLE
1
EXPENDITURE PER ANNUM IN THE SIX COUNTIES 2003-04 (£)
Government
Sector DEL* AME** (And Capital Spending) Total Managed
Expenditure
Northern
Ireland Office 984 Million 41 Million
1,025 Million
Ministry of Defence 682 Million 0 Million
682 Million
Executive 7,351 Million 3,902
Million
11,253 Million
Total 9,017 Million 3,943
Million
12,960 Million
Source: Book of Estimates 2003-04 Department of
Finance and Personnel,
Hansard 08/05/04 and Budget 2003.`