Talks on water charges in the North ‘should not be avoided’ amid crisis in public services

The Stormont executive and British government have been urged by a Westminster committee to agree a path towards further fiscal devolution. File picture: Liam McBurney/PA

Discussions by political parties in Northern Ireland about introducing water charges as part of efforts to solve a public service funding crisis “should not be avoided”, a Westminster committee has said.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) has called on the British government and the Stormont executive to agree a route map to further fiscal devolution to reduce the region’s reliance on central government funding and give it the ability to raise more revenue itself.