Heaton-Harris expected to meet Head of Civil Service to discuss revenue raising measures

The Secretary of State is expected to meet with the Head of the Civil Service as the Stormont impasse continues.

Revenue raising measures and a programme for government are among the issues Chris Heaton-Harris and Jayne Brady are expected to discuss.

The Northern Ireland Secretary has asked civil servants for information pertaining to revenue raising measures such as domestic water charges, drug prescription charges and tuition fees, which he says will improve the sustainability of Northern Ireland’s public finances.

Heaton-Harris has denied his instruction is an attempt to pressure the DUP to re-enter Stormont.

Ms Brady has held several meetings with local party leaders to discuss the budgetary pressures.

The DUP are boycotting the Stormont institutions in protest at the post-Brexit trading arrangements outlined in the Windsor Framework and the Northern Ireland Protocol.

They’ve said there can be no return to power sharing until such times as the UK Government addresses the issues outlined to them in a document the party gave to Downing Street several weeks ago.

On Thursday, the UUP Leader Doug Beattie said he has written to the Secretary of State asking for the Government to postpone an investment conference planned to take place in Belfast next month.

Mr Beattie says he believes it would make more sense to postpone the summit until the end of October, when a US trade delegation is also expected to be in Northern Ireland, and when he believes there is a greater chance of a return to Stormont.

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