Government’s revenue budget is forecasting a surplus of ?2.86m for 2017-18.

Total income for the year is estimated at ?964m, an increase of 4.8% over the equivalent figure for 2016-17.

Government's gross spending is estimated at ?1,030m in 2017/18, an increase of ?17m (1.65%) on the equivalent figure for 2016-17 and an average spend across all services of around ?2.8m a day. 

The operating balance, needed for contingency and cashflow purposes, is forecast to be ?68m or 7 % of gross spending by the end of 2017-18.

A Central Contingency Budget of ?3m is retained to allow some flexibility for the financing of unbudgeted inflationary costs and any other unforeseeable items, as is the  separate Contingency Fund with a further balance of over ?3m to meet unexpected, unavoidable or unplanned expenses.

A new Five Year Financial Plan is in place to deliver truly sustainable public finances by 2021-22.

A Capital Programme of ?88m is forecast for the year, which will be funded without recourse to external borrowing.