To ask the Minister of Health how he will address issues in relation to pay awards for Health and Social Care workers lagging behind those elsewhere in the UK during the current financial year.

This not an issue my Department can address in isolation. Delays in implementation of pay awards are due to budgetary processes locally. The lack of multi-year budgets restricts the ability of my Department to plan for future expenditure.

Any potential pay awards must also reflect wider public sector pay policies issued annually by the Department of Finance, and be approved by that Department.