Details of Northern Ireland's first budget since the imposition of direct rule in 1974 are expected to be given to the Assembly in Stormont this morning when the Minister of Finance and Personnel, Mr Mark Durkan, makes a statement to the house.

This follows a two-hour Executive meeting yesterday at which ministers agreed on spending provisions of some £5 billion sterling (€8 billion) to be divided between each of the new government departments for the 2000-2001 financial year, which begins in March.

This will effectively be a civil service budget as the delay in the formation of the Executive has meant the government departments in the North had to proceed with their spending plans in the absence of direction from Ministers until two weeks ago.

But the Executive is understood to have agreed minor changes on the departmental spending plans at its meeting yesterday when it was briefed by senior civil servants.

The spending levels to be proposed by Mr Durkan will not include provisions on social welfare, taxation and security, which are decided by the British government. These will cost about £4 billion sterling next year.

The proposals to be considered by the Assembly will also include provisions for North-South Ministerial Council.