evidence: The public finances in Northern Ireland: a comprehensive guide is intended as a reference work rather than to push any particular conclusions or recommendations, however the Council has highlighted ‘10 takeaways’: 1. Relative to its counterparts in Wales and Scotland (and to the UK Government in England), the Executive is responsible for a very large share of public spending in NI – almost £9 in every £10. But it raises a relatively small proportion of tax and other revenue – less than £1 in every £20. This reflects the Executive’s limited tax raising powers and the fact that it has responsibilities that fall to local councils or the UK Government elsewhere. [...] 3. Taking the UK Government, the devolved administrations and local councils together, public spending is higher per head in NI than in the other regions (on both public services and pensions and benefits), while revenues are lower per head than in Scotland and England (reflecting lower wages and employment) but higher than in Wales. Consequently, NI runs the largest notional budget deficit of any UK region and has done for at least 20 years.