T5. Dr Aiken asked the Minister to provide an assessment of the impact that the Budget 2024-25 will have on his ability to deliver pay awards in the 2024-25 period. (AQT 375/22-27)

I thank the Member for his question. The short answer is this: it is simply not good. The budget that I have gives me, frankly, zero ability to deliver a pay award for this year. Members will know that we are largely informed by the recommendations of various independent pay review bodies. While those panels are yet to publish their recommendations, they are likely to come in just a few weeks' time. A pay award here of 3% would cost approximately £150 million. While there was an additional resource allocation in the most recent budgetary outcome, not a single penny of that, I am afraid to report, was for pay.

If I may broaden that out: I consider pay to be part of the definition of a good job. I am pleased that my ministerial colleague the Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy, has charged Dr Lisa Wilson from the Nevin Economic Research Institute to look at the definition of a good job. The Economy Committee is looking at that.

I would like every job in Health and Social Care to be a good job. Pay is very important, as are terms and conditions. However, I see a good job as a job that people get out of bed for because they look forward to their shift and because it is a valued role that they think is important, and, importantly, because we all value the work that Health and Social Care does. Unfortunately, I can only repeat that there would be a potential shortfall of £150 million were we to talk about a 3% increase in pay this year.

That brings topical questions to the Minister of Health to a conclusion.