Legislation to allow government to pass budget for Northern Ireland expected to be fast-tracked

Legislation allowing the government to pass a budget for Northern Ireland is expected to be fast-tracked at Westminster on Monday.

The budget sets out spending allocated to Stormont's nine departments for this financial year.

However, departments have been operating without proper budgets due to the collapse of the Executive.

Civil servants are running the departments in the absence of ministers.

A budget hadn't been agreed when the DUP withdrew from Stormont in protest against the NI Protocol in February 2021.

A new Executive hasn't been formed following May's election as the party refuses to nominate a speaker as part of it's on-going protest.

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